Sailor Twins
by Pyeknu
Summary: Sequel to Lonely They Who Guard... The Sailor Senshi all get twin sisters!
1. Part 1 - Secret Hands

"You have failed me, Tsuruga!!"  
  
Daisuke Tsuruga winces under that withering gaze. "Forgive me, Mistress, but I warned you that my daughter might oppose us..."  
  
"Idiot!! You should have not rebuilt her as you did the others! Another girl would've sufficed to be Sailor Moon's twin!!"  
  
"True, Mistress, but I couldn't allow my daughter to die..."  
  
"SILENCE!!!!" the creature barks. "I gave you the key to the power necessary to destroy the Senshi!! We must move quickly!!!"  
  
The robotics specialist trembles, wondering whatever persuaded him to accept these creatures' help in finishing his project. He had watched a witches' brew of diseases like AIDS, ebola and hepatitis threaten to ravage a whole generation. Like many throughout the world, he was determined to find some way to preserve and protect that generation from being lost to the ages. Inspiration came one day when he saw his only daughter Nona picking through her large manga collection. One of them, Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell," depicted a future where people could become living cyborgs, their minds encased in very powerful robotic bodies so they could compete in a increasingly wired society.  
  
Discovering the means to preserve one's soul in a cybernetic system was quite easy; the brain worked on the same type of electronic impulses, only more complicated, as the most advanced computer. It was quite easy to construct a containing system that shielded the fragile organ from outside damage, plus a life-support system to keep it alive. Designing the body was the difficult part...until someone developed the blueprints for a very advanced alien android that could be easily modified to the task at hand.  
  
But making use of that would eventually cost Tsuruga his very soul.  
  
And his daughter's love.  
  
"Mistress...if Nona is determined to warn the Senshi that you plan to attack them, you will be stopped," he stares at the monstrosity before him. "The powers the Twins have come from a force far beyond even your control. It, in fact, contributed to their rebellion against you."  
  
The creature rises, then emerges from shadow to reveal a slender female hominoid with gaunt pale skin seductively covered in black chainlink armour akin to bones, her red hair forming a frizzy halo around her still pretty face. Her eyes, as black as darkest space, bore into him. "You are right, Professor," she smiles, stroking a finger over his nose, causing him to shiver from her icy touch. "So many've tried to destroy those wretched reincarnations of Serenity's brat and her friends over the last few years. They were fools because they didn't understand the real nature of the Moon Queen's power. How she keyed into the life-essence of Creation itself, dared manipulate the elements that compose the universe as we know it, to create the perfect team of champions! Well, TWO can play at that game," she walks back to her throne, shrouding herself in darkness. "Yes...two can play at that game. Do not worry about your rebellious creations trying to stop us, Tsuruga. There are other ways to destroy the Senshi...other ways indeed."  
  
Hollow laughter echoes through the dark hall...  
  
* * *  
  
...while elsewhere, in a place of eternal light, a lithe figure walks through the rambling mists of the *te'a.* She cants her head slowly to listen to that laughter, then allows herself a light smile. Did she stupidly think she could manipulate the very elements of Creation Itself to her will? The ancient Sagussans tried it fifteen millennia ago when they created the *haijo-ju* and its numerous prototypes...and within a thousand years, were fighting a war for their very existence. Millennia later, using data obtained from Sagussan records buried on Neptune, Queen Serenity used That Power to create the Imperium Silver Crystal, the source point from which her avenging angels, the Sailor Senshi, would rise again to destroy those who would threatened the last remaining elements of the Silver Millennium.  
  
Technically, the *te'a* was neutral in the eternal fight between Creation and natural Entropy, the mortal decay and disintegration of all physical things. For a beginning, there was always an ending. For a birth, a death. For a creation of a world, a destruction of another world elsewhere. That was the way of Existence.  
  
But unnatural Entropy in all its forms was a different matter. The Sagussans wanted to use the *haijo-ju* to try to remould the races around them in their image. The War of Clone Rights resulted from that. But Serenity's creation of the Silver Crystal, using the *te'a's* power to bring forth the Sailor Senshi, was a different matter. Oh, there were those who tried to kill Creation's warrior-maidens. Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Prince Demand and the Black Moon Clan. The Death Busters, Mistress Nine and Master Pharaoh Ninety. Galaxia. All the others. None succeeded because they didn't understand, didn't take the time to understand, the exact nature of the power the Senshi welded.  
  
Until now.  
  
The woman/cyborg now calling herself Sailor Hades smiles as she uses the Styx Staff, her personal *haijo-ju,* to gaze at the creature who dare believe she could use the *te'a's* might against Its pretty warriors. "Good luck, you stupid bitch! You don't have a prayer!!" she smiles, a bit of Yuki Tetsujo coming through the rational demeanour her twin wouldn't find so strange, then repeats the ancient Sagussan saying that might as well be the Sailor Senshi's real fighting motto:  
  
Of the parts of Existence,  
One thing can be said:  
Entropy has a reason for everything.  
But Creation is unreasonable.  
  
* * *  
  
In another part of That Power, Sailor Pluto looks up from her stylized Time Door, a smile touching her face. "Yuki..."  
  
"Setsuna," a voice echoes from behind her.  
  
Time's guardian turns to see Eternity's guardian standing there. It had been disorientating to stare at this exact replica of herself at first, even for one who knew what would soon happen to both her beloved friends and Yuki's new family. But Yuki had been born with the power to touch, to manipulate, the *te'a* to her own will. People born with this power came only once in a nearly infinite cases spanning thousand of years. The last one Setsuna knew of was named Serenity.  
  
"Almost time," Pluto smiles.  
  
"Hai," Hades nods. "Almost time."  
  
Soon the ten would become twenty.  
  
Then watch what would happen!  
  
* * *  
  
"Sailor Twins"  
a tale of the Sailor Senshi  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir  
kush1@iaw.on.ca  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
**** **** ****  
  
WRITER'S NOTES  
  
1) This story takes place some months after the conclusion of my SM/UY-TSY crossover fic "Lonely They Who Guard..." Usagi and the Inner Senshi are preparing to enter university. Naru's powers as Sailor Terra remain the same. This story is also inspired by the fanfic "Senshi Kurai," but only the Greek names of the second set of Senshi (save for Sailor Moon's counterpart; see below) will be used.  
  
2) Instead of using Hecate for Sailor Moon's double, I selected Diana (the name of the Roman goddess of the moon). Luna's and Artemis' child has returned to the future by this time. Further, "Diana" would be better known to most Japanese girls than "Hecate" (who is more associated with magic and witches).  
  
3) The story of the *te'a* and Sagussa is described in detail in many of my UY-TSY stories. My recommendation is to read the series from the beginning to get a better feel of the concept of the *te'a* and what It does to others. The best stories to look at for just a quick reference is "A Hectic Vacation" (story #34) and "Dakejinzou's Story" (story #36). The Shoozooki appear in my UY lemon fic "The Galatea Syndrome."  
  
4) Nokoko, the Nendo-kata, Nicole and Mujanba are characters from UY-TSY. They first appeared in "Together the Outland" (story #11).  
  
5) Everyone's symbols:  
  
Sailor Diana...The moon with a bow and arrow over it.  
Sailor Sunaru...A hurricane symbol over crossed arrows.  
Sailor Zeus...A heart over arrows and a lightning bolt.  
Sailor Hermes...A caduceus with a heart fixed at its apex.  
Sailor Aphrodite...A heart with an arrow piercing it.  
Sailor Chronos...A "C" with an hourglass suspended between the opening, an arrow piercing it.  
Sailor Gaia...Earth's symbol over a caduceus.  
Sailor Ares...A heart over a bow and arrow.  
Sailor Poseidon...A snowflake over a heart.  
Sailor Hades...The infinity symbol pierced by an arrow.  
  
**** **** ****  
  
And with that...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!  
  
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PART ONE - SECRET HANDS  
  
"This isn't my day!" Sailor Moon groans.  
  
The pretty warrior was, as usual, making an understatement.  
  
Dangling precariously off a projecting I-beam several hundred feet off Juuban's streets, with a daemon ready to mash her fingers and send her plunging to a certain fate, it could be said to be a typical day for the Senshi's leader. Looking around, Moon can't see her friends. Gritting her teeth, she glances up. The daemon, a griffon-like creature with a hydra's forest of heads snapping greedily at her, had terrorized the district's Ginza before Usagi had stumbled onto it. Not waiting for the others to show up, she transformed and leapt into the fray. "Not really smart, Usagi-chan," she grits her teeth.  
  
The creature above her bellows its challenge, then recoils as something smacks into the I-beam! Moon's eyes lighten up, hopeful that it was one of Tuxedo Kamen's roses. Looking at it, however, elicits confusion; it's a very sharp energy dagger.  
  
"Hold it, sleeze ball!!!" a VERY familiar voice barks.  
  
The daemon grunts as Moon peers over her shoulder...to see HERSELF standing on the roof of the building across the street! However, this Sailor Moon has red hair, the bangs tied in a tight French braid down the centre of her back. Further, several more energy darts and a javelin-like weapon are in her hands. "You're not going to make Sailor Moon street pizza today, ugly...not as long as Sailor Diana, Huntress of the Moon, is around!!" the newcomer challenges.  
  
"Sailor...Diana...?" Moon blinks, immediately wondering if this woman had come from the future like Chibi-usa and Luna's daughter.  
  
Snarling, the daemon bellows a challenge. Crouching, Diana leaps into the air, the darts in her hand glowing star-white. "***ENERGY MOON DARTS!!!!***" she barks, sending a storm of the lethal projectiles at the creature before her.  
  
A pained shriek explodes from the daemon's multiple mouths as it staggers, greenish ichor exploding from dozens of wounds as the energy darts make their mark. Diana lands with unnerving grace on the I-beam, inserting herself between Moon and her attacker. "Let's see you try to knock me off, bud!!" she assumes a fighting stance with her javelin.  
  
Howling mad with pain, the daemon lunges. Diana twirls the javelin, sweeping the creature off its feet with one pass. The daemon drunkenly flips over, its hind claws barely seizing the I-beam before it plunged atally to the unyielding concrete below. Seeing it is too busy to interfere, Diana kneels, hand out to Moon. "Grab on!!"  
  
"Thanks!" Moon extends her hand, then is effortlessly hoisted up. Drawing the Silver Crystal, she glares at the creature. "Let's see you run now, sleezoid!!" before summoning a banishing wave of energy to send the daemon back to the dark place it arose.  
  
As the dying creature's helpless bellows echo through the air, Diana guides Moon back onto better footing. "Who are you?!" the latter seizes the former's arm. "Where did you come from? I don't remember someone like you from the Moon Kingdom..."  
  
"I'm not from that place or time, sister," Diana warmly smiles, eliciting an embarrassed blush from Moon. "I was created a year ago as part of a private project to produce a replacement team of Senshi should you and your friends perish in battle. This is my first time in actual combat."  
  
Moon mentally staggers, trying to quickly absorb the full meat of Diana's words. "Created?! By whom?! What are you?!"  
  
Diana smiles. "I cannot say any more for now, sister. My powers, unlike yours, are quite taxing on my body's energy reserves. Right now, I have to go. We'll meet again!"  
  
With that, the other Senshi sprints away. "Wait!!" Moon runs after her. "At least tell me your name!"  
  
Diana pauses at the edge of the uncompleted floor, staring at her blonde look-alike. "Nona," she calls out, then leaps into the darkening abyss below.  
  
Moon reaches the edge, then looks down. "Gone!"  
  
The rustle of a cape diverts her attention behind her. "Are you alright, Usako?" a concerned voice inquires.  
  
Automatically, Moon sinks into Tuxedo Kamen's comforting embrace. "I don't know, Mamo-chan..."  
  
* * *  
  
Across town, Makoto and Minako pick their way through the Ginza, chattering excitedly about the vast selection of clothes and other items up for sale. "Hope our wallets appreciate this when it's all over," the former picks her way through a rack of blouses.  
  
"Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it!" the latter drapes a cardigan sweater over her. "How's this look, Mako-chan?!"  
  
"It's looks nice," Makoto's voice echoes from behind her.  
  
Minako blinks surprisedly, then spins around to see *Makoto* gazing appraisingly at her. The only difference between the two is the pleated long-sleeve shirt and designer slacks the newcomer wears in lieu of a soft gold sweater and skirt. "No way!!" Minako exclaims.  
  
"I'm sorry!" the newcomer blushes. "Besides, your friend's busy gazing at Katsura there," she points.  
  
Minako turns back to see Makoto drooling unashamedly at a raven-haired version of Haruka now picking her way through a rack of blue jeans. *Haruka, too?! Whoa...Twilight Zone time!!* she mentally exclaims, then returns her attention to Makoto's double. "W-well, you sure this looks nice?"  
  
"It really matches your hair and eyes," the taller woman smiles. "Wearing that would make you fade into the fog. Really romantic notion if you ask me!"  
  
Minako giggles, eliciting a deep laugh from her appraiser. "I'm Minako Aino," she holds out her hand.  
  
"Junko Satoda," Makoto's double beams.  
  
Minako blinks surprisedly at the very firm grip, then slings the sweater over her arm. "Well, what else do you think I should get, Junko-chan?" she glances around.  
  
"Me!" Junko points to herself. "I'm available, free!"  
  
Minako gags at the awful joke, then pitches over in a spasm of giggles. Junko notions her to the make-up counter. Meanwhile, Makoto has not once taken her eyes off the alluring Katsura. *Oh, man, who is that?!* the tallest of the Senshi breathes in, her teeth nibbling her finger. *Boy?! Girl?! Whoever it is, except for the hair, that could be Haruka! Gods, what do I do...?!*  
  
"You know, you're going to do your hand a serious injury if you keep nibbling at it," the stranger then speaks.  
  
Makoto turns stark-white as Katsura turns to face her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!!" she rambles a mile a minute, waving her hands frantically.  
  
Katsura blinks. "My! You look so much like my friend Junko!" She then notices the woman in question guiding Minako into trying out some lipstick. "Seems your friend's already made her acquaintance!"  
  
"No way!!" Makoto parrots Minako's expression on seeing Junko. *That's me!! But...how?!*  
  
"Let's just hope she's not your doppelganger," Katsura pulls out some pants, draping them over herself. "What do you think?"  
  
Makoto looks back, now realizing Katsura was a she. "Nice!" she nods, then smiles. "By the way, I'm Makoto Kino."  
  
"Katsura Utai," the raven-haired woman offers her hand, giving Makoto's a firm grip. "Pleased to meet you, Makoto-san. Care to stay with me? Seems your friend's kind of busy right now."  
  
"Um...y-yeah, s-sure!" Makoto shrugs...  
  
...then everyone jolts as a powerful shock rocks the Ginza! Eyes spin outside as a vent of lava explodes through the concrete, followed by a luminescent column. Despite its stark beauty, the multi-limbed creature at the column's end hints at something more dangerous. "A monster!!!" someone screams.  
  
"Oh, hell!!" Makoto grunts, then blushes apologetically at Katsura. "S-sorry, Katsura-san! We better run!!"  
  
"G-good idea," Katsura readily nods.  
  
The two sprint out of the shop, Minako and Junko in their wake. The two Senshi dodge into one alley while their new friends duck into another. "Can we do this?!" Junko wonders.  
  
"We have no choice!" Katsura concentrates, then calls out, "SUNARU HEAVENLY ECLIPSE POWER, MAKE UP!!!!"  
  
"ZEUS LIGHTNING ECLIPSE POWER, MAKE UP!!!!" Junko echoes.  
  
Energy warps their civilian clothes into Senshi fuku, the same colours as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus. "Let's go!!" Sunaru nods.  
  
"Right! Hey, who was that girl with you?!" Zeus wonders.  
  
"We'll figure it out later! Monster-bashing first!"  
  
"Hai!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***" Sailor Venus blows a kiss.  
  
The bolt of energy, combined with Sailor Jupiter's Supreme Thunder Dragon, sends the daemon sprawling! However, its mass remains locked in the hole in the middle of the Ginza. "Wish Mercury was here!" Jupiter grunts. "She could scan that thing and probe for a weakness!!"  
  
"Let's hope the others get here soon!" Venus grits her teeth. "Okay, ugly, let's dance!!"  
  
Bellowing, the creature lashes out with an energy bolt. "Oh, shit!!!" Venus moves to dodge.  
  
Jupiter blinks surprisedly as *she* leaps protectively in front of Venus, hands out. "***AEGIS PROTECTION!!!!!!***"  
  
The bolt slams into an unyielding energy field around Sailor Zeus! Sunaru then appears beside Jupiter. "Seems your powers come from the earth!" the raven-haired Senshi smiles. "Time for you to leave home and embrace the heavens! ***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***"  
  
A tornado leaps down, seizing the daemon and dragging it out of its hole! Howling, the creature struggles to withdraw to the safety of the soil, but Sunaru's winds are too strong. "Drag her out of there, Sunaru!!" Zeus smiles. "We'll wean it from its mama!!"  
  
Finally, the creature, well over a hundred metres in length, is yanked free! Howling with pain, it struggles to slither down the funnel, its luminescence fading. "Take it down, Zeus!" Sunaru warns.  
  
"No problem!" Zeus winds up. "***AEGIS ENTRAPMENT!!!!!!***"  
  
The energy field which had prevented Zeus and Venus from being charcoal-broiled lashes out, sealing the daemon from ever reaching earth again. Zeus shudders as the creature's still-formidable power struggles against her forcefield. "Can't...keep this up...much...!"  
  
"Don't have to!!" Venus bolts to her feet. "Drop the shield!"  
  
Zeus grunts, the shield fading, the daemon free to plunge back to earth. "***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***" Venus fires.  
  
"***SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!!!!!!***" Jupiter barks.  
  
The twin bolts of energy slam into the daemon, pulping it long before it could re-energize!! "Dusted!" Jupiter laughs.  
  
"Nice one!!" Venus beams, high-fiving her friend.  
  
"Hey, we had help this time!!" Jupiter turns to thank Zeus and Sunaru...then blinks on finding no one. "Where'd they go?!"  
  
Venus looks around, then crosses her arms. "Don't worry, Jupiter. I've a funny hunch who those two were!"  
  
"If they were, where'd they come from and how'd they become Sailor Senshi?!" Jupiter gazes at her friend.  
  
"Good question," Venus muses...  
  
* * *  
  
Ami browses through her biology text as she wanders between the shelves of the local library. In spite of passing her college examinations with flying colours, the studious Senshi didn't believe in letting up on her studies. The library is quiet today; few others are in attendance. "I need more information," she muses to herself, then remembering where some detailed texts were located, turns a corner...and collides into someone!  
  
"I'm sorry!" a voice indistinguishable from hers utters as Ami falls flat on her backside.  
  
Ami looks up...to see a blonde, bespectacled version of herself staring at her. "Y-y-you're...!" Ami stammers, pointing at the woman.  
  
"No, I don't believe I'm you," the woman twirls her blonde locks, then offers her hand. "I'm Tsuyako Yuuri. I didn't expect many people to be here today."  
  
"Ami Mizuno," Ami introduces herself, allowing Tsuyako to boost her to her feet. "I came here to study. Always good to get a head start on university."  
  
"Really?!" Tsuyako blinks, her eyes reflecting a thirst for knowledge which matches Ami's. "Me, too...even thought I suspect I might not be going to university. What are you studying?"  
  
"Biology...I intend to be a doctor," Ami smiles as the two proceed down a row of books. "Didn't you do your entrance exams?"  
  
"I did...then I got very sick," Tsuyako haltingly replies, clearly hesitant on revealing the whole story. "Look, why don't I help you study? I've really got nothing to do."  
  
"Would you? I don't want to deprive you..."  
  
"I don't mind," Tsuyako smiles. "Please?"  
  
Ami blinks. The things Tsuyako said...and DID NOT say...would fill enough material in a dozen school quizzes. "Sure," she nods, then pulls out a sheet. "I need these books..."  
  
In a minute, the two are at a table, a stack of library books between them. To Ami's surprise, a rapport forms between herself and Tsuyako. Given the latter's stylish jeans and button shirt, she seemed well off. With her raw intelligence, it struck Ami as tragic that Tsuyako was unable to attend college. Curiosity rears its ugly head. Ami barely fights it down; if Tsuyako wanted to reveal more, she would have to make that decision.  
  
Time passes. After scouring through several chapters, Ami uses Tsuyako as a quizmaster, drilling her on various topics which would be covered in the first year biology course. Much to the former's delight, the latter doesn't stint on questions, picking a balanced mix between common topics and obscure points which could be a surprise question in a quiz. Then, Ami becomes the quizmaster, drilling Tsuyako in chemistry, the subject the latter would have taken were she to attend college.  
  
As the sun begins its descent behind the Kantou-sanchi, Ami and Tsuyako stretch themselves. By that time, the former's curiosity in unbearable. "Tsuyako, can I ask you something?"  
  
"What, Ami?"  
  
"Why is it you can't attend college?" Ami muses. "You have such raw intelligence, you could almost be considered a child prodigy..."  
  
"You don't understand," pained regret crosses Tsuyako's face. "Ami-chan, I like you very much. But...even if I could bring myself to trust you enough to reveal my secret, you'd think me either insane or a liar."  
  
Ami mentally kicks herself; whatever was tearing at Tsuyako hurt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've asked. But...I've come to like you very much. In fact, I'd consider us twin sisters were it not for the...hair," she points to her own raven locks.  
  
Tsuyako gazes intently at her. Since meeting Ami, her mind has been ruthlessly performing a comparison between her and the woman Tsuyako was literally reborn to replace should the unimaginable happen. Should she? "Alright," she sighs. "But, before I begin, could I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure," Ami nods.  
  
Tsuyako looks around. No one within hearing range. "Can you speak German?" she inquires, altering languages.  
  
"I'm proficient," Ami automatically switches.  
  
Tsuyako nods. "Ami...are you Sailor Mercury?"  
  
Ami jolts as her mind interprets those words. Tsuyako winces, sensing the shock overwhelming her new friend. "I assume that's a 'yes,'" she sighs, then reverts to Japanese. "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to come at you like that."  
  
"How did you guess?" Ami hoarsely wonders.  
  
"Well, your...other uniform doesn't break up your facial features enough," Tsuyako smiles, then switches back to German. "Besides...I was constructed in your image."  
  
Ami blinks, stunned shock freezing her in place as her mind rehashes Tsuyako's words. "You're...what are you?"  
  
Tsuyako sighs. "It's hard to explain," she switches back to Japanese. "If you go to the birth records office in Okinawa, you'd find my birth certificate. But I assure you that I never looked anything like this growing up," she points to her face.  
  
Ami stares at the blonde. "Cosmetic surgery?"  
  
"Oh, this goes a lot deeper," Tsuyako chuckles. "You can call me a cyborg. Almost all this body before you is mechanical. My brain and the direct support mechanisms to keep it alive are all that remain of my old body. Here," she rolls back her sleeve.  
  
Even though Tsuyako's words gave Ami ample warning, the shock on seeing complex cybernetics under a circuit hatch in the lower arm jolts her. "Gods..." she gapes, then looks around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Drawing her computer, she does a cursory scan. "This is unbelievable," she gapes at the readings. "Your cybernetics are light-years more advanced than anything I've encountered to date."  
  
Tsuyako closes up her arm as Ami slips the computer away. "Thanks," she smiles. "I'm grateful that we've met. Ever since our...conversion, all of us have wondered what we were going to do with ourselves."  
  
"I can understand that...and thank you for being so honest with me..." Ami smiles, then blinks. "Wait! You said 'others.'"  
  
"Yes," Tsuyako nods, does a glance around the room, then lowers her voice. "There are now doubles of all the Senshi, including Sailor Terra. As a matter of fact..."  
  
Before she could complete her statement, an explosion rocks the street outside the library. Both leap to their feet as they see a particularly foul daemon emerge from the sewers. "This'll have to wait!" Ami grits her teeth. "I've work to do."  
  
"I can help," Tsuyako smiles. "C'mon!!"  
  
Ami is dragged out of the library by the blonde. In a moment, both are in a secluded alley. Ami already has her henshin stick in hand. "This is good enough," Tsuyako looks around, then calls out, "HERMES HERALD ECLIPSE POWER, MAKE UP!!!!"  
  
Ami gapes as Tsuyako's clothes melt away, reforming into an electric-blue sailor fuku with winged form-fitting boots, a visor now fixed before her eyes. Her symbol adorns the button over her tie. In her hand is a caduceus the length of her arm. "There!!"  
  
"Y-y-you're...!!" Ami stammers, the information onslaught almost ready to overwhelm even her.  
  
"Transform!!" Sailor Hermes snaps. "I'll explain later! That daemon's not going to wait!"  
  
Shaken out of her stupor, Ami points her henshin stick to the heavens. "MERCURY COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!"  
  
In a second, Sailor Mercury joins her altered twin in charging out of the alley. "Hold it, creature!!" she barks. "How dare you interrupt this day of study?! In the name of Mercury, I will not permit this to continue!"  
  
The daemon hisses, its glowing eyes fixed on the blue-sheathed Senshi. "*MER-...CU-...RY...!*" it snarls.  
  
"It appears our opponent is not much of a conversationalist, sister," Hermes muses.  
  
Roaring, the creature lunges. Before Mercury could dodge, she finds herself fifty feet away! "What on Earth...?!" she exclaims, staring at Hermes, who seems not winded for running so fast.  
  
"You should know your mythology by now, sister!" Hermes winks.  
  
Mercury watches as the Senshi herald becomes a white-and-blue blur, appearing before the daemon. "Would you care to do that again?!" Hermes taunts.  
  
Bellowing, the creature snatches a car. Mercury gasps as it winds up, flinging it at Hermes. Instead of dodging, the Senshi herald draws her caduceus. "***STRIKE OF A THOUSAND KNIVES!!!!!!***" she bellows as her weapon becomes a fast blur.  
  
The car is sliced to ribbons before it could cause her harm. However, the friction ignites the gas tank! Seeing the burst of energy, Mercury calls out, "***AQUA ILLUSION!!!!!!***"  
  
A storm of water slams into the inferno, dousing the gasoline. Hermes, fortunately, ran clear. "Up here!!!" she taunts.  
  
The daemon spins around to see the Senshi herald now standing on a light pole. "Continued resistance is futile," Hermes crosses her arms. "You cannot outrun the Herald of Justice, Sailor Hermes. Surrender and your fate will be merciful!"  
  
Roaring, the creature lunges at Hermes. She cocks her fist back, then punches, the fist vibrating until it is encompassed in energy. "***HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Mercury watches as the daemon is slammed by the energy blow. Drawing her visor, she watches as the creature's molecules are accelerated past solid state to liquid to gas in the blink of an eye. Its internal organs fatally compromised, the daemon disintegrates as the energy fades around Hermes, allowing the blonde Senshi to drop back to earth. "I believe that creature will not bother us anymore," she walks up.  
  
"Nicely done," Mercury whistles. "But...how did this happen?"  
  
Before she could answer, Hermes jolts, her body sagging. "An explanation later...if I may, sister," she grits her teeth. "My power systems...have finite levels. Right now, I...need a very good recharge. Let's return to normal, then...could I trouble you to help me home?"  
  
"Sure," Mercury nods as she slips herself under Hermes' shoulder, helping the Senshi herald off the street...  
  
* * *  
  
"Did you save her?" Katsura wonders.  
  
"You bet!" Nona smiles as she stares at the tricorder in her hand, one lead connected to the servicing unit each of the Twins needed to stay alive and healthy, the other to her systems analysis terminal located in her breastbone above her cleavage. After a good hour laying nude on the roof of their private apartment outside Tokyo, the solar collectors built into her skin soaking up the Sun's limitless energy, Nona had recovered from her brief fight with the daemon who had tried to kill Sailor Moon. "That sucker didn't know what hit it!! How about you two? No problems with the one you fought?!"  
  
"Piece of cake," Katsura snorts, shutting off the blender and pouring her special fruit shake into glasses for everyone else to have. Solar energy was good to restore their internal batteries so they could continue to fight alongside the Senshi, but their organic parts still needed nutrients to remain healthy.  
  
The Twins understood the advantages and liabilities their new bodies possessed. Each woman living here was in truth a technological marvel the likes of which Earth had never seen, their cybernetic systems derived from advanced androids used by a patriarchal race known as the Shoozooki, amoral beings who traded their knowledge to everyone who wanted it without care for the social and cultural damage it unleashed.  
  
But androids had a inherent limitation: their computer brains were limited in their ability to think on their own. Daisuke Tsuruga had got past that by using organic brains extracted from the dying shells of Nona and nine other women he had found at his patron's instigation to create a strike team meant to destroy the Sailor Senshi.  
  
Unfortunately for the creature Nona's father worked for, its desire to make the Twins kill the Senshi were dead aborning. With organic minds came a subconscious, the ability to dream, reach out beyond the realm of the physical and a will that no controlling program could suppress no matter how complex. Nona, horrified that her father would want her to kill a group of women she admired greatly, helped the others free themselves, then fled the professor's lab in Nara for this private home Nona's late mother had set aside for her just before she was killed.  
  
Nona had a lot to be angry at. Her father for using her and the others in this way, allowing her mother to die, turning her into this mechanical monstrosity to help some extra-terrestrial would-be dictator conquer her people. The nameless thing that had instigated this in the first place, wherever it may be. But she would NEVER hate her "sister," Sailor Moon. Why was it monsters who picked fights with the Senshi, used innocents to prove how macho they were?! Cowards! Fighting bullies and cowards; that's all this was. Someone couldn't stand the fact that others didn't bow to them, pay them respect, so they came out, disrupted everyone's lives, probably killed people, then caused a mess when people like the Senshi rose to stop them.  
  
Not while Nona Tsuruga and her friends drew breath. Somehow, some way, they were going to have new organic bodies so they could use their special powers effectively, then they were going hunting. Nona would first kill her father, then the creature who instigated this. After all, she was Sailor Diana. Diana was the goddess of the moon, a master hunter, in Roman myth. The beings Nona were after were animals...and she was in the mood for a hunt.  
  
Blinking, she smiles on seeing that her diagnostic had shown no errors, then she disconnects herself, sealing her body up for another week. Straightening her jogging pants and T-shirt, she walks into the common room, accepting the offered shake from Katsura. Chooko was still shopping with Nareta in Hachiouji. Tsuyako hadn't come back from the Juuban library. Yuki was heaven knew where; with Sailor Hades, one could never tell. Junko was preparing dinner. Sakebu had her nose buried in a magazine. And her hearing could detect Ayako's and Matsuri's passionate lovemaking from their bedroom.  
  
Walking over to the television, Nona flips it on NHK, sitting down to watch the news. A reporter was now on the street near the Juuban library, speaking to several surprised students. "...it was wild!!" a boy with round-frame glasses gasps. "I mean, there was Sailor Mercury fighting this thing right over here," he gestures wildly, "...and with her was someone I'd swear was her own twin sister!!"  
  
"Looks like Tsuyako-chan was busy, too," Katsura parks herself beside Nona, sipping her shake.  
  
"Did you hear the name of the other Senshi?" the reporter asks.  
  
"Yeah, it sounded like Sailor Hermes," the boy responds, then hums. "That would make sense; in Greek mythology, Hermes was the herald of the gods, the equivalent of Mercury in Roman myth! Sailor Hermes called herself the Herald of Justice...!!"  
  
The image changes to a generic broadcaster. "And so ended the third strange incident this day concerning Juuban's legendary Sailor Senshi and their mysterious twins," she gazes at her notes. "So far, no one has been able to ask any of the Senshi about this phenomena. Do all ten of the Senshi have twins who are named after the Greek versions of their names? Only time will tell..."  
  
"With this sort of publicity, we'll be able to flush out Dad and his friends," Nona scowls, a dangerous glitter in her eyes. "Once we do that, then there'll be a reckoning!"  
  
"We still don't know how powerful they are, Nona-chan," Katsura warns. "Can we actually defeat them?"  
  
"With the Senshi's help?" Nona smiles. "Count on it!"  
  
There is a shuffling at the front door, followed by the doorbell. "I'll get it!" Junko calls out as she runs into the main hall, opening the door. "Yes, can I...Tsuyako-chan, are you alright?!"  
  
Tsuyako now leans on Ami's shoulder, the two having spent the last hour getting out here from the nearest subway station without the police or anyone else wondering why the former wasn't in a hospital. "She's very low on primary charge," the latter reports, her eyes widening on seeing this double of Makoto staring at her. "Could you help me? Carrying her wasn't too much of a problem, but she is quite heavy..."  
  
Junko nods, grabbing Tsuyako and boosting her into the living room. The other Twins help the Senshi herald into her bedroom. With quick speed, Katsura unbuttons Tsuyako's shirt, then reaches for a very heavy power cable fixed to one wall. "Open up," she orders.  
  
Tsuyako nods, a hatch opening under her breasts to reveal a power jack. Katsura plugs her friend in, then stares at Ami, her eyes widening in recognition. "Sailor Mercury...?"  
  
"I'm Ami," Ami states, then gazes at everyone else. An exact double of Makoto, a black-haired Haruka, a Naru with her hair in a bun and an Usagi with her red hair done in a long pig-tail? She then turns to see a crimson-haired Rei and a black-haired Minako emerge from one bedroom, very short housecoats barely covering their bodies. "Oh, gods, I thought Tsuyako-chan was joking...!!"  
  
"We're no joke," Junko winks. "Hey, look, Tsuyako-chan's gonna be a bit. Want something to eat? You had a pretty busy day too."  
  
"I wouldn't mind," Ami nods...  
  
* * *  
  
"Man, that's cool!!" Shingo whistles as he stares at the television in the Tsukino living room. "Doubles of all the Senshi! Wouldn't it be neat if you got the chance to meet them, Dad?!"  
  
"Well, it was strange enough when Sailor Terra appeared some months back," Usagi's father muses. The family and Mamoru were relaxing after a pleasant supper, though Usagi wasn't in the mood for conversation. "I wonder how many more Senshi'll come out?" he then chuckles. "Perhaps Senshi for all the moons in our solar system?!"  
  
"Sailor Phobos, Sailor Deimos, Sailor Io, Sailor Europa..." Shingo rambles off, then yelps as Usagi swats him with a pillow! "Hey, what was that for, sis?!!"  
  
"That's not the least bit funny, idiot!!" Usagi bolts to her feet. "Could you imagine what these girls are going through?! Having their whole lives disrupted because of monsters and aliens and who knows what else?! Believe me, being a Sailor Senshi isn't fun, you know!"  
  
"How would YOU know?!" Shingo demands.  
  
Usagi jerks. Oh, boy, she put her foot into it THIS time! "Shingo, Usagi has a point," their mother cuts in. "The Senshi aren't always active; they must have private lives of their own. They're probably normal girls like Usagi and everyone else. I don't think they like it one bit being forced to fight monsters and all that."  
  
"Yeah, but it's cool with the way they finally got rid of the Dark Kingdom some months back when Sailor Terra showed up," Shingo shrugs.  
  
*And nearly committed genocide,* Usagi mentally adds, then stands. "I'm going upstairs," she stretches herself. "Mamo-chan?"  
  
"Hai," Mamoru nods as he follows Usagi to her room.  
  
Shingo shrugs. Their parents head into the kitchen, where their mother finally allows tears to flow. "Relax, honey," Usagi's father sighs. "You know she was born to do this. We have to accept it."  
  
"Accept what?" her mother wonders, keeping her voice down to ensure Shingo didn't hear. "Accept the fact that my daughter puts her life on the line every day fighting those things?! Accept that my daughter supposedly lived a thousand years ago on a kingdom on the Moon?! That is OUR child who's Sailor Moon! Why doesn't she tell us the truth...?"  
  
He embraces her. "Maybe Usagi-chan's trying to protect us."  
  
"She doesn't have to," she sobs...  
  
* * *  
  
"Usako?"  
  
"I'm alright," Usagi sighs, staring at the pale globe hovering nearly a half million kilometres away high in the night sky. Hers ...no, her former self's...old home, now just a lifeless husk.  
  
Mamoru nods, gently embracing her from behind. Even now it was so hard. She wasn't Princess Serenity anymore. She was Usagi Tsukino, who also happened to be Sailor Moon. The final battle with the Dark Kingdom should've settled everything, especially since Naru, someone who wasn't resurrected from the Silver Millennium, had become Sailor Terra. But still, the fragmented memories of her first life haunted her.  
  
Why? Why couldn't Serenity rest in peace, leave Usagi alone and let her live her life as best as she could, not following some plan conceived a thousand years ago on the Moon? No matter how hard Naru reminded her that she had to get her mind on the here-and-now, her first life was flowing back to her like a relentless tide. Usagi knew it would lead to some crisis sooner or later. One part of her rebelled now at the idea of Sailor Terra even though it had been Naru's wish to become a Senshi. If Usagi said anything wrong in front of her best friend, it would really hurt Naru's feelings. Naru wanted to stand by her friend. Couldn't the part of Usagi that once was Serenity accept that and let it be?  
  
And now MORE Senshi, possibly doubles of everyone? Usagi shakes her head. Part of her welcomed the newcomers, especially since Nona had given her real name without hesitation. They seemed friendly enough, determined to fight by their doubles' side. But that hidden voice told her this wasn't the way this was supposed to be. There were supposed to be NINE Sailor Senshi, not TWENTY, especially since eleven of them didn't depend on the Imperium Silver Crystal for their powers.  
  
Usagi blinks as Luna appears in the window, then steps inside, leaping onto the bed. "Usagi, we must investigate this," the cat climbs onto her lap. "Whoever these..."  
  
"SHUT UP, LUNA!!!!" Usagi snaps.  
  
Luna and Mamoru jolt as Usagi bolts to her feet, glaring at the raven-haired cat. "Why is it whenever something that doesn't fit with the plan Queen Serenity made when the Silver Millennium was destroyed is automatically looked on with distrust?!" she demands, shaking furiously. "You hated it when Naru-chan became Sailor Terra and now you want to hold Nona-chan and all the others at bay?!"  
  
"Usagi, think!!" Luna hisses, trying her best to keep some sense of calm to this discussion. "These women possess powers that should come only from the Imperium Silver Crystal! How is it they were able to fight alongside you, Minako, Makoto and Ami like that?! Where did they get their powers from?! Who gave it to them?! We have to know, Usagi!"  
  
"Why?!" Usagi demands. "If Nona-chan really wanted to kill me, she could've let the daemon knock me off that beam or stabbed me with that javelin of hers! She didn't; she saved my life! That makes her good in my books!! Sailor Sunaru and Sailor Zeus saved Minako-chan and Mako-chan from that other one...and Ami-chan would've had loads of trouble with the daemon she fought if Sailor Hermes didn't help out! Look, they obviously want to work with us. Why can't you accept that?!"  
  
Luna shakes her head. After Usagi had come home, she and the cat had a heated discussion over who Nona was and how she got her powers. Usagi was all for welcoming Nona and the others into the team while Luna had more than understandable reservations. They knew NOTHING about these Sailor Senshi Twins, as the media now called them. Discussing it with Artemis didn't produce any solutions either. "I cannot!" she sighs. "Usagi, you are far too trusting! And what was wrong with what your mother conceived?! It's worked so far!"  
  
"Barely!" Usagi sighs, then glares at her. "And my mother isn't Queen Serenity, Luna! She's downstairs in the kitchen right now! I thought we settled this debate back before Naru-chan joined us!!"  
  
"Not in my eyes," Luna snaps. "Usagi, you, Mamoru and the others are all that's left of the Silver Millennium! You are all that's left of everything I knew and cared for back then!!"  
  
"Everything you knew is dust, Luna!" Usagi glares at her, crossing her arms. This had been coming for some time now. "Because you demanded we willingly do to the Dark Kingdom what they did to the Silver Millennium, we almost committed genocide!! I will NEVER allow that to happen again, Luna! We're gonna do things a little differently around here from now on and if you can't accept that, tough!!"  
  
Luna jolts. Usagi's grief, rage and anger at herself for nearly slaughtering thousands of defenceless Dark Kingdom denizens had been building over the last few months. She did her duty as Sailor Moon even now, did it with zeal...but the fatigue of four years of constant battle was wearing her down. Privately, Luna welcomed Sailor Terra and would gladly welcome the Senshi Twins once she could trust they wouldn't turn on the Senshi like Hotaru nearly did once.  
  
This young woman before her was as much Luna's daughter as she was Queen Serenity's; Luna would ALWAYS look on Usagi as the Princess of the Silver Millennium no matter how Usagi looked on herself. Very soon, she would have to prepare to become Neo-Queen Serenity if Chibi-usa's future was to be reality. Already, she was showing the necessary maturity to be Crystal Tokyo's future queen...but she needed the chance to relax and contemplate before taking those final steps. And Luna would give her that chance as long as she could ensure Usagi's future safety.  
  
Suddenly, all three tense as they feel a fourth presence. "It is always the way of Entropy to hold back, to look always to the past," a familiar voice warns. "But if you are truly to be Creation's warriors, you must look to the future."  
  
They spin around to see a figure standing in the near-darkness of the corner, a figure dressed in a familiar black-and-white sailor fuku. "Setsuna...?" Usagi blinks, then her eyes widen on seeing the newcomer's staff. "Wait, you're not...!"  
  
"Sailor Hades, I presume," Mamoru hums.  
  
"Correct, Tuxedo Kamen," Hades emerges from shadow. nodding pleasantly at them. "I apologize for coming in unannounced, but you're obviously curious about myself, Sailor Diana and the other Twins. If you want, we could meet at Hikawa Jinja tomorrow after lunch so we can get to know each other more."  
  
"You know about Hikawa Jinja?" Usagi blinks.  
  
"But of course," Hades smiles, raising the Styx Staff as she moves to depart. "When one guards the very power of Eternity, learning things like Sailor Mars' real name is very elementary. Until tomorrow."  
  
She vanishes. "Wow!!" Usagi whistles.  
  
"I'm glad they're on our side," Mamoru hums.  
  
"Can you be sure?" Luna stares at him...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Part 2 - Dreams and Realities

"My Mistress."  
  
"Report."  
  
"Our agents have made initial contact with the Sailor Senshi. They engaged them in battle as ordered. The agents were all killed. The news reports declared that the Twins were involved in each battle."  
  
"Indeed?" the dark princess' eyebrow rises, yet she shows no emotion. Sitting back in her throne-like chair, she sighs. So Tsuruga had succeeded in creating a force of powerful warriors after all. Pity they rebelled against the one who had saved their worthless lives. Well, she could deal with them eventually. Just keep them busy enough to study their strengths and weaknesses, then when their vulnerabilities were known, go for the kill. "Thank you. You may go."  
  
"My Mistress," the creature bows, then departs.  
  
She sighs, then heads to her private chambers. It had been child's play to rebuild the Dark Kingdom's homeworld, the fragments of which had drifted between dimensions since the Kingdom's demise some months ago. It now orbited Earth, cloaked from the scanners of the races approaching to become allies with this world, especially the new race calling Sagussa home. That didn't bother her. After all, what were the dreams of mortals when one had briefly touched the brilliance of Eternity Itself?  
  
Had touched...the *te'a.*  
  
Entering her chambers, she smiles on seeing the nude form laying on her bed. The cyborg was deactivated, powerless to stop her from taking delight in her delicious charms. Tsuruga had constructed her as a present to show his loyalty and gratitude to his new mistress. The robotics specialist was a ghoul at times, but a very good artist when it came to creating the perfect woman. She sighs as she lays down beside her. "Wake up," she orders.  
  
The woman's brown eyes come alive, then they widen on seeing the being beside her. "Get away from me!" she hisses, moving to put some distance between them.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
The cyborg jolts, frozen still. "You can't run, my dear," the dark princess strips the bony armour from her body, reaching over to stroke her pet's wavy black hair. "Unlike your rebellious daughter and her friends, you don't have that annoying thing called a 'free will'...not as long as you're here."  
  
"I hope you go to Hell!" the cyborg shudders.  
  
The dark princess laughs. "Idiot!!" she removes the last of her clothes, then lays down beside her. "You still don't understand! There is neither a Heaven or a Hell! Just the wide expanse of Eternity, That Power that my people feared so much during the age of Gisan'cha! Soon, I'll finally be able to understand That Power, use it to my own will...and your daughter and her friends are going to help me get it!!"  
  
"Nona-chan will kill you when she gets her hands on you!" the being who once called herself Kyooko Tsuruga snarls. "You'll never make her or the others kill the Sailor Senshi! You'll never drag her here for you to control them!! They're too smart for that...!"  
  
"Quiet!" the dark princess snaps.  
  
Kyooko's mouth closes automatically. "Now, my dear, I desire you to please me," the dark princess lays back. "I want to experience some more of your wonderful seduction programs. Now!"  
  
Kyooko shudders as she feels her body respond to her mistress' commands. Her soul screams out in helpless rage as she prostrates herself before the dark princess, her senses assaulted by her musky yet repulsive odour. She tries her best to ignore her body's actions, tries to slip back into the bliss of unconsciousness as she remembers a more innocent time...  
  
* * *  
  
"Mother!!!"  
  
Nona bolts up from her bed, panting heavily as her sleep program ends, that vivid nightmare replaying in her mind again and again. One disadvantage of her new body was its ability to record all her thoughts, preserve them on computer chips so she could never forget important stuff. Unfortunately, she couldn't delete that memory from her system once it was implanted unless she filled all her secondary memory chips, then it would delete automatically. How long would that take?  
  
"Nona-chan, are you alright?"  
  
Nona sees Chooko staring concernedly at her. Taking a deep calming breath, the Twins' leader lays down, drawing the shorter woman into her arms. Chooko had been constructed to approximate an older Hotaru Tomoe (Ami had told the Twins the real names of the other Senshi in anticipation of everyone's meeting at Hikawa Jinja later that afternoon), so the difference in stature between the lovers was rather insignificant. Besides, Ami had said that Hotaru was a fast grower, so she'd be Chooko's height before very long.  
  
"Just had a nightmare," she kisses Chooko, then plays with the other cyborg's short black hair. "I thought I saw Mother again."  
  
"Your mom's dead, remember?" Chooko snuggles into Nona's embrace as she tries to chase away her beloved's fear. "Your dad killed her."  
  
"Yeah, but still..." Nona sighs, gazing at the full moon hanging over their heads through their bedroom skylight.  
  
* * *  
  
"Sailor Twins"  
a tale of the Sailor Senshi  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir  
kush1@iaw.on.ca  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART TWO - DREAMS AND REALITIES  
  
"Are you nervous, Haruka-chan?" Michiru muses as she, her beloved and their "daughter" drive down the street to Rei's shrine.  
  
"Somewhat," Haruka shrugs. "You know, Luna's got a point about wondering where these girls received their powers." She then shudders as one particular detail Ami passed on comes back to her. "Gods, they're all cyborgs?! We don't have the technology to create something like that...and it's way too soon for us to get anything from any other race!!"  
  
"Personally, I can't wait to meet them," Michiru chuckles. "After all, I want to see what hair colour my double has."  
  
Haruka nearly drives the sports car off the road, shocked at her beloved's cavalier attitude. "Can't you be serious for once, Michi-chan?! Whoever created these girls is one serious player!!"  
  
"I am serious, Haruka-chan," Michiru gazes warmly at her. "But Usagi-chan has a point. We should welcome the Twins without reservation; it's the perfect way to garner trust. Besides, I've always wanted a sister and now I'll have that chance."  
  
Haruka sighs. It wasn't in the race car driver's nature to trust many things. Coming to accept people like Katsura Utai would be very difficult, especially since no one asked her if she wanted a sister handed to her out of the blue like that. She then tries to calm herself. Michiru had told her to behave herself around the Twins so the newcomers would get the best impression of the Senshi. Haruka had vowed long ago she'd do anything for the woman beside her...and she would.  
  
"What's that?!" Hotaru wonders.  
  
The car stops, everyone looking left to see a spiral of explosive energy shooting out of the ground the next block over. "Looks like we're needed for some action!" Haruka sighs, parking the vehicle before everyone disembarks, drawing henshin sticks as they sprint into an alley.  
  
Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn soon emerge at the other end, weapons at the ready. Sure enough, it is another daemon, a funnel of plasma energy with a monstrous face on one side, now sprouting arms and legs as it emerges from the sewers. "Hold it, creature!!" Uranus draws her sword. "I, the Senshi of the Heavens, Sailor Uranus..."  
  
"And I, the Senshi of the Oceans, Sailor Neptune..."  
  
"And I, the Senshi of Death and Destruction, Sailor Saturn..."  
  
"And I, the Mistress of Passion, Sailor Aphrodite, are going to show you the new meaning of heartbreak!!"  
  
The Senshi spin around, looking up to see a black-haired Sailor Venus in an electric pink fuku standing atop a nearby building, arms crossed. "Sailor Aphrodite...?" Neptune blinks.  
  
With a nimble leap, Aphrodite jumps to the ground, joining her fellow Senshi. "Hi, girls!" she smiles at them, turning around to present her backside to the monster in question. "Hope I'm not too late to help out! Actually, I'm very honoured to be with you; I've been a fan of yours for oh SO long...!!"  
  
The monster roars, nearly blowing the four Senshi down. Aphrodite turns around, staring the creature right in the eyes. "***STOP BREATHING ON MY BOWTIE, YOU ECCHI HENTAI PERVERT!!!!!!***"  
  
The unexpected bellow from this frail girl makes the creature pause. Uranus, Neptune and Saturn exchange surprised looks. "Anyway, as I was saying..." Aphrodite turns back to them...  
  
...then they are knocked over by a blast of energy emitting from the monster's mouth!! They collapse into an unruly pile of arms and legs some distance away. "What were you trying to say, Aphrodite?" Uranus grunts as they try to get back to their feet.  
  
"Of course you know, this means war," Aphrodite growls, her eyebrows wiggling in feigned anger.  
  
Rising, she strides determinedly up to the monster. "I hate arrogant monsters," she blows a black heart from her mouth, then fires it, whispering, "Heart Mirror Shock!"  
  
The bolt, which doesn't at first seem as powerful as Venus' Love and Beauty Shock, slams into the creature, knocking it out of the sewers as it's tossed several metres down the street!! "That's better!" Aphrodite draws out the chain of hearts around her waist, then twirls it. "Okay, ugly, we're going to play a little game here! It's called 'To Tell The Truth!' I'm gonna wrap you up in my Truth Chain here and you're gonna sing like a canary," she tosses it out. "Truth Encircle!!!"  
  
The chain wraps around the monster's midsection, freezing it in place as Aphrodite yanks the loop tight. "Ah, that's much better!" she grins. "Okay, ugly, who sent you here in the first place?! Was it the same creep who made Nona-chan's dad kill her mom?! C'mon, c'mon, speak up! I ain't got all day, you know!!"  
  
The other Senshi are stunned silent. "This girl is confident," Uranus muses, brushing off her skirt.  
  
"I like her," Neptune smiles.  
  
The daemon whimpers, unable to fight off the Truth Chain but unable to respond to Aphrodite's question. The passion mistress sighs, then yanks back her chain. "Geez, I HATE dealing with dumb monsters! They're so boring!!" she blows another black heart, this one much more powerful. "***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"  
  
No more daemon! "Wow!!!" Saturn gasps as the others run up. "How'd you do that, Sailor Aphrodite?!"  
  
"Easy," Aphrodite winks. "He never had any positive emotions in him in the first place. My first attack wasn't fatal; it just confused him by draining all his aggressive energy. But without any positive emotions, my second attack destroyed him. All his life was full of hate and anger, so without love or kindness, he had nothing left to save him."  
  
"Vicious," Neptune muses, smiling at their new friend. "You are indeed a heartbreaker, Sailor Aphrodite."  
  
"Thank you, Sailor Neptune," Aphrodite winks. "Now, what say we split off to our friend's home so we can do the meet-and-greet?"  
  
The four head back into the alley, transforming to their civilian clothes as they emerge to get into Haruka's car. Ayako Maida wears a designer pair of dark pink slacks and a ruffled shirt that flatters her shapely form. "Nice wheels!" Ayako whistles as they sit down. "Shit, Katsura-chan really liked it when she found out who you were, Haruka-chan. She's always been a big fan of yours. Katsura-chan was disappointed when you decided to retire; she made a killing betting on your races."  
  
"Thanks," Haruka blushes, gazing warmly at Michiru. "But I have other things on my mind right now."  
  
"Oh?!" Ayako's eyes widen knowingly. "Ah, pleasing such a lovely lady as Michiru-chan is indeed a wonderful occupation!"  
  
The Senshi couple turn beet red. "H-hey, we're n-not th-that close...!" Haruka laughs embarrassingly.  
  
Ayako sighs. "I hate it when people don't acknowledge their lovers in public," she rolls her eyes, then smiles. "Aphrodite Passion Eclipse Power, Make Up!"  
  
Everyone jolts in surprise as her clothes melt back into her Senshi fuku. The passion mistress puts fingers to mouth, then produces a bright pink heart. "Wh-what're y-you g-going t-to do...?!" Haruka stammers as she and Michiru try to put some distance between them and Aphrodite.  
  
Aphrodite winks. "Heart Courage Kiss!!" she fires.  
  
The bolt slams into Haruka and Michiru, bathing them in a shower of bright sparkles. Both shudder as they gaze hungrily at each other, the desire in their eyes blazing like a nova. "Haruka-chan...!" Michiru snarls lustily. "I want you! Now!!"  
  
Hotaru gasps in stunned disbelief as Michiru swamps Haruka with a very wet kiss, knocking the latter into the driver's seat as the former starts tearing at her shirt. Aphrodite reverts to Ayako, then hops out of the back seat. "Okay, love birds, if you're gonna do the passion dance, hop in the back! I'll drive!"  
  
"Thank you!!" both gasp as they leap into the back seat, Hotaru barely getting clear of them just in time.  
  
Ayako sits down, then turns the engine over as Hotaru gets into the shotgun seat. "Do you do that all the time, Ayako-san?!"  
  
Ayako licks her lips seductively as she guides the car back into the roadway. "A day without someone making love close to Ayako-chan makes her a naughty girl, Hotaru-chan! Remember that!!"  
  
Hotaru shudders. "Hey!!!" Haruka bolts up from the back, her shirt gone. "Who gave you permission to drive my car?!!"  
  
"Haruka-chan, I'm very warm right now...!" Michiru's hands snake around her lover's neck, dragging her back down with relentless force!  
  
"Back to business, Haruka-chan," Ayako stares at them in the mirror, then turns back to driving. "Gods, I'm such a stinker, aren't I?!"  
  
Hotaru shudders in a "why me?" gesture...  
  
* * *  
  
"It's about time!" Minako smiles as Ayako and Hotaru climb the steps to Hikawa Jinja. "Nice to meet you, sis! I'm Minako."  
  
"Hi, Minako-chan," Ayako embraces her, then takes the time to walk around her twin. "Whoo, I can see why Junko-chan had such a delicious dream about you last night! I don't blame her one bit!!"  
  
Minako turns beet red. "J-junko...?!" she stammers, pointing inside to where Junko was happily chatting away with Makoto.  
  
"Oh, yeah, you should've heard her," Ayako sighs, then modulates her voice in a perfect imitation of a very passionate Junko. "Oh, Mina-chan, Mina-chan, you gorgeous woman, wherefore art thou, Mina-chan...!!"  
  
WHAM!!!! Junko slams Ayako with a couch. "Idiot, I don't need you spilling my intimate dreams!!!" she bellows. "Gods, you are something else!!! And where're Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan?!!"  
  
Ayako pays her fellow Twin no mind. "Hmm...last I looked, Haruka-chan was down to her panties and Michiru-chan to her pantyhose and G-strings! I left them in Haruka-chan's car under a tree down the block."  
  
The Senshi and the Twins jolt, eyes wide with shock. "Ayako-chan, you didn't...!" Junko cries out.  
  
Ayako makes a "woe is me" gesture. "Oh, I cannot tell a lie! I did, I did! I just can't stand it when two nice lovers like Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan won't be honest about their relationship in public!"  
  
Usagi stares at Nona. "Is she normally like that?!"  
  
"She's tame today," Nona shakes her head.  
  
"Nice girl," Mamoru shudders.  
  
Ayako blinks, her eyes locking on the closeness between Mamoru and Usagi. "Oh, this I cannot pass up!" she licks her lips as her clothes melt back into her Senshi fuku, then a pink heart slams into Usagi!  
  
The Senshi leader jolts, then she turns lustfully on Mamoru. "Mamo-chan...!" she purrs, leaning into him. "What say we blow this popsicle stand and go find a nice cherry tree to hop into so we can get to know each other all over again?!" she meows.  
  
"U-u-usako...!" Mamoru stammers.  
  
"C'mere, lover!!!" Usagi leaps at him.  
  
He screams, backing away as Usagi lands hard on the floor, then scrambles out of the shrine, his fiancee right on his tail. "Usako, calm down!! We don't have time for this!!! Usako!!"  
  
"Oh, Muffin, don't play hard to get!!" Usagi croons.  
  
The others shudder as Aphrodite reverts to Ayako. "Um...how long does that normally last?" Minako wonders.  
  
"About three hours," Ayako tosses aside her long raven bangs as she heads in to meet the others.  
  
Minako and Junko sweat. "Um...sorry about that," the latter laughs embarrassingly. "Ayako-chan's a confessed aphrodisiholic!"  
  
"'Aphrodisiholic?!'" Luna blinks confusedly.  
  
"Yeah!" Junko shrugs. "She gets drunk on passion."  
  
Everyone shudders, perspiration popping. Minako then blinks as she remembers what Ayako told her about Makoto's twin. "You really had a wet dream about me last night?" she gazes at Junko.  
  
The taller cyborg jolts, then bows low, nearly prostrating herself before Ayako's sister. "I am SO sorry, Minako-chan!! I have no excuse for feeling this way about you..."  
  
"Are you free tonight?"  
  
Junko stops, staring at her. "Eh?!"  
  
"I asked 'are you free tonight?'" Minako smiles.  
  
Junko blinks, then smiles. "Capitol Theatre's got 'Empire Strikes Back.' Wanna go?"  
  
"Six-thirty?"  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
Both laugh. Everyone else blinks. "I never thought Junko-chan could work THAT fast on someone," Tsuyako muses.  
  
"I never thought Minako-chan was the type," Ami hums...  
  
* * *  
  
"That's awful!" Luna hoarsely exclaims.  
  
There isn't a dry eye in the house, not even with Mamoru, as Nona completes her tale. "Tell me about it," the Twins' leader shakes her head. "All the others wanted was the chance to live the lives they desired...and Dad turned around and he...!"  
  
Nona shakes her head, feeling Chooko's hand on her shoulder. Usagi looks down, then turns to Ami. "Do you have any idea where the technology that saved Nona-chan and the others comes from?"  
  
"I've never seen anything like this before," Ami shakes her head. "It's far more advanced than anything that existed in the Silver Millennium, or with any aliens we've encountered to date."  
  
"And you've no idea who it is that wanted you to kill us, right?" Haruka looks at Katsura.  
  
"Nada," the raven-haired Twin shakes her head. "We never even entered another dimension; all the work was done in the professor's lab in Kyoto. I still don't understand how we were able to overturn the programming that would've made us come after you."  
  
"I do," a voice utters.  
  
Space warps open as Sailor Hades and Sailor Pluto arrive. "Hey, strangers, we missed you," Haruka grins as the two transform back into Yuki and Setsuna.  
  
"Sorry we're late," the time guardian sits down. "But we've been trying to backtrack our latest opponent's history, figure out where she came from and all that."  
  
"Near as we could tell, she rebuilt the planetoid Beryl used as her home base, then put it into orbit over Earth after warping it from Metallia's dimension," the guardian of Eternity continues. "Some of the daemons now working for her were stragglers from the Dark Kingdom that were never caught by the Seifukusu Dominion when you had your big blow-up with them some months ago. Others were created by her just for the occasion."  
  
Everyone sighs. Many suspected deep down that Setsuna and Yuki knew much more than they said, but because of their binding loyalties to Those Forces they were guardians/servants of, they couldn't reveal more. "Pity we don't have a ship so we could go after them now," Minako hums. "I'm sick and tired of waiting for daemons to attack me. Why don't we do the attacking instead?"  
  
"Without proper intelligence, without a full idea as to what we're up against?" Rei's crimson-haired twin Matsuri Dokai blinks. "It's a swift way for people to get killed, Minako-chan."  
  
"I agree," Nona sighs. "Right now, we're on the defensive."  
  
The others nod, then Rei tenses. "Wait!" she runs over to the sacred flame, intoning a prayer as she tries to perceive images. "We're about to be attacked."  
  
"Here?!" Usagi points down.  
  
"Somewhere in Juuban," Rei bites her lips. "Very soon..."  
  
Echoing her words, a distant explosion quakes the shrine's windows and walls. Everyone runs to the door to gaze outside, seeing a miasmic cloud billow from the downtown shopping mall. "That's near my mom's store!!!" Naru screams.  
  
"What are we waiting for?!" Usagi hisses. "Let's go!!!"  
  
Everyone races off...  
  
* * *  
  
"You beasts!!!" Mrs. Tsukino screams as several daemons rip through Mrs. Osaka's jewellery store. "Why do you keep coming here?! Go away!!! This is our planet, not yours!!!"  
  
"SILENCE, WHELP!!!!" one of them sends a blast her way.  
  
From out of nowhere, Gurio tackles Usagi's mother at the waist, barely clearing the attack just in time. "Watch yourself!" he gasps as both tumble into a pile of arms and legs nearby.  
  
Roaring, the daemon turns...as a storm of energy darts lance into him. "You leave them alone, sleezoid!!!"  
  
Gurio turns to see Sailor Diana standing between them and the wounded daemon, her javelin at port arms. Roaring, the creature bellows as he fires a storm of energy bolts her way. The javelin then becomes a baton, deflecting the blasts right back. The daemon staggers as it tries to mount a defence as Diana moves in on him. "You tell my father this when you go back to whatever hell raised you!!" she raises the javelin. "He's next!!!"  
  
The javelin then lances through the creature's heart, a blast of energy fatally compromising its cardiovascular system as it collapses. Diana holds out her hand. The javelin flies out of the carcass to land in its mistress' palm. "Chronos!!!"  
  
"Right!" Sailor Chronos raises her sickle-like staff, then produces a ball of energy in the inside of the hook. "***TIME SUSPENSION!!!!!!***" she fires the blast at the daemon.  
  
Caught in a null-time field, the creature is frozen still as Chronos then twists her staff. "***TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Before his eyes, Gurio watches the daemon shrivel up and disintegrate into dust in three seconds! "There, that should make clean up a lot easier," Diana muses. "Let's go!!"  
  
"Hai!" Chronos nods as they race off to join the others.  
  
"Wow!!" Gurio whistles as he helps Mrs. Tsukino to her feet. "You okay, ma'am?!"  
  
"No...not really," she sighs, gazing at the mass of daemons now being besieged by the Sailor Senshi...  
  
* * *  
  
"Impressive," the dark princess smiles as she watches the Senshi and the Twins lance through her latest attack force, a mix of Dark Kingdom veterans and her own soldiers. "You really outdid yourself. A pity they rediscovered their free will too soon."  
  
"There is a chance," Tsuruga muses.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Their power supply," the professor sighs. "In their Senshi forms, the Twins consume power at two to three times the rate they would when they were their normal selves. If this is prolonged, they will simple run out of energy."  
  
"How interesting," she laughs. "You are macabre, Daisuke-kun. A trait I appreciate very well."  
  
The professor shudders, then blinks. "Oh, the second one is done," he coughs.  
  
"Oh, excellent! Bring her here."  
  
Tsuruga walks away. A minute later, a dusky-skinned, crimson-haired woman is escorted into her former chambers. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Mage Beryl," the dark princess smiles.  
  
"That's QUEEN Beryl to you, usurper...!!!" she snarls, the defiant fire in her red eyes blazing bright.  
  
"Silence!!!"  
  
Beryl blinks, feeling her mouth close up. "In this place, I control your every action, Mage," the dark princess smiles. "The wards you placed here to ensure that no one could use your power for their purposes were child's play to destroy. You've been alive for how long now? Over a thousand years? I've been alive for sixty times that, girl. The petty schemes of little dictators like you are but a flash in the pan to one such as I."  
  
The queen-turned-cyborg shudders, exerting every effort to summon the power to resist, even just to spit defiance into this woman's face. "I am Kughra, crown princess of the Kingdom of Nyoograng'sha from the planet Sagussa," she smiles. "As to why I've restored you to life after Sailor Moon ended it some years ago, it was to show you how abysmally you failed to properly comprehend the power that annoying little twit welds. To show you how insignificant you really were when you dealt with the Sailor Senshi. Then, when I've destroyed them, you'll be allowed to live on as my servant."  
  
Beryl blinks as she feels her throat free up. "Kill me and be done with it!!" she snarls.  
  
"No. It amuses me more to keep you alive. Kyooko!!"  
  
Kyooko walks into the room, now dressed in a skimpy toga. "By your command, Mistress," she bows.  
  
"Take your sister back to the chambers and make love to her," Kughra sighs. "I wish her to fully understand how powerless she is when she confronts one who understands the Truth of Existence."  
  
"Yes, my Mistress," Kyooko bows.  
  
"Beryl, you will fully submit to her," Kughra adds. "I will not hear a single word from you except in pleasure. Go!"  
  
Beryl shudders as that invisible fist clenches around her throat, her soul screaming out in helpless rage as Kyooko walks her into what was once HER bedchambers. When the door closes behind her, Kyooko begins to disrobe her. "I'm very sorry about this," she gazes apologetically at the queen before kissing her...  
  
* * *  
  
"Begorrah! Look at them go!!"  
  
Nicole McTavish, once a prominent daughter of the richest clan of Scotland before her gender preference saw her emotionally expelled from her family for twenty-four years, gazes at the fight between the Senshi and the daemons dispatched by Kughra. Already, the sensors of the crystal palace surrounding her had picked up the planetoid in Lagrange orbit between Earth and the Moon. She chose to do nothing yet even though the technology that had adopted her as part of itself when she fled into the Outland gave her the power to shield Earth from Kughra's forces.  
  
It wasn't because she didn't want to fight. Her ancestors would never excuse cowardice in the face of evil like this. But the McTavishes of Killiecrankie had survived for a thousand years because of a cautious approach to relations with outsiders. Never a clan of conquest, the McTavishes always remained neutral in the fratricidal feuding that haunted Scotland for centuries. If one wanted peace and trade, they got it. If they wanted war, they got that, too. Even when Scotland was split in loyalties between the deposed Stuart dynasty of Bonny Prince Charles and the Hannovers transplanted from the Holy Roman Empire to Westminster Abbey, the McTavish Clan remained neutral. After that useless farce at the Moor of Culloden, they accepted the new political order stoically, then built a business empire second-to-none in the British Empire, these days an international empire covering two dozen nations, rivalled only by a few families and conglomerates.  
  
There was a simple rule in Nicole's family. Never show your true strength until the time is exactly right, then strike swift and hard, going always for the throat. The clan's symbol, a hunting falcon, personified this belief. If Nicole showed the immortal power she had at her very fingertips, she could destroy Kughra with ease. But if she slipped, even once, innocents could suffer...most of all, her unborn daughter now filling her abdomen. That problem also excluded her life-mate Mujanba and the Nendo-kata that had been Nicole's neighbours since she first met them in the Outland. And with Ataru and Lum busy on Sagussa, there was little Nicole could do to call in reinforcements to help the Senshi.  
  
It was easy for her to tell the Sailor Senshi Twins were cyborgs. To even a practiced street observer, the creations of Daisuke Tsuruga were human, as life-like as alien technology could make. But Nicole saw things on dozens of separate temporal and spacial planes. She knew the Twins' had a finite power source, not like the Imperium Silver Crystal the Senshi used or the boundless energy of Earth itself that Sailor Terra drew on. What was worse, if they were pressed to those limits, the Twins would be as useless as mannequins, targets ready to be destroyed at a moment's notice.  
  
To add spice on the cake, Nicole knew no improvements could be made on their bodies. The tragedy of Shinobu Miyaki's cyborg friend Ayara comes back. An organic mind, no matter how well shielded, wasn't built to interact with high-speed cybernetics. Ayara had been in her long life a cyborg soldier, then a pleasure android. Over two hundred years, her mind slowly disintegrated, aging to that of a seventy year old before she became human again and fled this dimension with her beloved Akisur. The Senshi Twins were pleasure androids that would be forced into high-stakes combat on a nearly daily basis if Kughra kept this up. They wouldn't last less than a month...and Nicole was being generous.  
  
"Poor loves," she shakes her head. "You're killing yourselves as easily as if you took a knife to your own throat."  
  
"What is happening, Nicole-chan?" a voice inquires.  
  
Nicole smiles as Mal walks into the room. "Look for yourself, Mal," the former nods at the viewscreen.  
  
Quickly interpreting Nicole's thoughts, Mal gazes at the image of Sailor Zeus protecting several children from a daemon as Sailors Uranus and Jupiter approached to double-team it into oblivion. "Such passion to protect the Unity," the Nendo-kata-turned-Oni sighs. "A pity the Mother Ocean judged them so harshly."  
  
"Aye, love," Nicole nods. "If I was in better shape, I'd be a'teachin' that slug upstairs a few things about real power."  
  
"But we cannot fight in the condition we're now in," Mal looks at her distended abdomen. Katsura Moroboshi was due in another two weeks. "If only we could contact our sisters in the Mother Ocean; they could slay this sub-creature Kughra with but a thought."  
  
"Aye, only if...we can!!" Nicole's eyes widen excitedly.  
  
"How?!!" Mal gazes at her. "Even if we travel through the Outland, it would take us years to return home!!"  
  
"Lass, Setsuna Meiou could get us there in the blink of an eye!" Nicole points at the viewscreen, now showing Sailor Pluto unleashing the Dead Scream on a hapless daemon suspended in mid-air thanks to Sailor Chronos' Time Suspension.  
  
"Can she?!" Mal blinks as she looks at the screen...  
  
* * *  
  
"SOULSWORD!!!!!!"  
  
The last daemon howls as Sailor Terra's energy katana slices it in half, its parts disintegrating as a cleansing wind flows through the downtown market. Once it is gone, Terra draws the energy back into herself, then takes a deep breath, feeling Earth's power reinvigorate her with invisible strands of energy. Once she is healthy again, she turns to see the other Senshi collapsing against walls and the ground, panting heavily. The Twins were also very weak, many barely able to keep enough energy in their arms and legs to move. "Is everyone okay?!" Terra wonders.  
  
"Y-yeah...j-just outstanding!" Moon pants as her best friend helps her back up, then she staggers over to Diana, now leaning against a wall. "Y-you okay, Sailor Diana...?"  
  
"I'm so low on power, I can't move," Diana admits. "Can we get out of here without everyone falling over us, sis?"  
  
"Hey!!" a voice calls out.  
  
Everyone turns to see Gurio drive a large van up, opening the panel door and waving them inside. "You ladies need a lift?"  
  
Moon blinks surprisedly on seeing the knowing gaze from her former classmate. First Naru, now Gurio?! Who else had guessed their secret identities? "Thanks!!" she nods.  
  
The Senshi help the Twins into the van, then Gurio guides it through an alley to avoid the gathering crowds now heading in to survey the damage. "At least the sun's still up," Zeus pants as she collapses against Venus' side. "Time for sunbathing."  
  
"I can't believe we fought together so well on our first try as a full team," Moon grins. "This was great!"  
  
"I wouldn't call having a lot of our sisters conking out halfway through it 'great,' Usagi-chan," Terra sighs as she allows herself to transform back into Naru. "The only ones still on their feet at the end were Yuki-san and Sakebu-chan."  
  
"Well, my power source is a lot stronger than the others," Hades admits as she transforms back to civilians. "And Sakebu-chan's abilities are more passive than active. She didn't have many people to heal from flying shards or energy blasts."  
  
"I only wish I could use my powers to give energy to the others," Sailor Gaia transforms back to Sakebu Kanna.  
  
"I wish I could use my powers to do that, too!" Aphrodite reverts to Ayako. "Damn, they were really pushing us out there."  
  
"Probably to gauge how far we can go before they can destroy us," Diana transforms back to Nona. "This isn't good. Next time might be the one where one of us dies."  
  
The Senshi blink, stunned that Nona could speak of this so casually. "How could you say something like that?" Moon gasps.  
  
"We're living on borrowed time, sis," Nona sighs as the Senshi's leader reverts to her civilian identity. "When Dad built these new bodies, they were based on pleasure androids; the power cells and circuits are gauged for moderate consumption levels. I wouldn't call what we're going through 'moderate.'"  
  
"What's worse, our minds can't take the strain of our bodies' energy demands," Chronos transforms to Chooko. "Our organic parts are aging faster than what is normal. If this keeps up, we'll be brain-dead inside a month, maybe two. We have that much time to stop Nona-chan's father and whoever's behind him."  
  
A chill falls over the others...  
  
* * *  
  
"They're gonna die. They're gonna die..."  
  
The Senshi and Gurio relax in the Twins' apartment complex, their thoughts echoing Usagi's sobs as she lays in Mamoru's lap. The Twins were now on their private roof pad, stripped down as the solar collectors in their bodies soaked up the Sun's power. Luna and Artemis lay on a coffee table as Gurio prepares tea. "So what can we do for them?" Rei shakes her head. "How can we help them?"  
  
"I've been looking over the schematics of their internal systems," Ami gazes at her computer screen, typing furiously. "If we put a larger power cell in their bodies, unless we strengthen the energy conduits and the shields around their minds, they'll burn out a lot faster."  
  
"But if we don't find some way to juice them up during a fight, one might buy it the next time," Haruka warns.  
  
"I'm AWARE of that, Haruka!" Ami snaps.  
  
Everyone jolts. "Settle down, Ami-chan, please!" Naru sighs. "We're all feeling bad enough as is!!"  
  
Ami tenses, then sighs. "I'm sorry, Haruka."  
  
"Hey, it's cool," Haruka nods.  
  
With that, Ami returns to her computer. "Tea's ready," Gurio announces as he walks out of the kitchen.  
  
"How'd you figure us out, Gurio?!" Minako wonders.  
  
"Oh, c'mon, Minako, if one watches you long enough, he'll pick it up, too," Gurio smiles as he passes tea cups around.  
  
"Well, if you get any ideas of becoming a part of us, please dismiss them from your mind," Luna sighs. "I've had enough of people trying to find out about us to last me five lifetimes."  
  
"You can talk?" Gurio blinks, then shrugs as he heads back into the kitchen. "Why am I not surprised?"  
  
Artemis chuckles as he bounds into the kitchen. "I hope it doesn't bother you with Usagi and the others being what they are," he muses, laying down by the sink.  
  
"Not really," Gurio shrugs. "We all know they were reborn to fight on Earth's behalf, so there's no sense complaining. I'm shocked that I can accept it so easily. Then again, I have been a victim on occasion of the monster du jour, so it's nice to know that I have friends nearby ready to help when things go crazy."  
  
Artemis smiles as Gurio passes him some chopped beef. "I'm envious, to be truthful," the latter continues. "Of Naru-chan most of all. She wished to be Sailor Terra, she became Sailor Terra."  
  
"Do you still love her?" Artemis wonders.  
  
"I care for her," Gurio sighs. "We just drifted apart over the past year. Besides, I've my life to live. I can wish for a whole slew of things, but lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, you know."  
  
"Don't be too sure about that," Artemis hums, then blinks as several of the Twins descend from the roof. "Ah, the ladies are back on their feet again. Excuse me."  
  
He bounds back into the living room. Gurio sighs, then blinks as Setsuna peeks into the kitchen. "Thanks for your help," she soundlessly mouths to not attract attention.  
  
"Anything for you, love," he mouths back, winking.  
  
Setsuna grins as she returns to sit beside Yuki. "Feeling better?" Luna wonders as Nona sits beside Usagi and Mamoru.  
  
"Not a hundred percent, but we're ready for a fight if a new one starts up," Nona sighs, then rubs the bridge of her nose.  
  
"Aren't you scared?" Usagi wonders.  
  
Nona gazes at her. "Of dying? We all die sooner or later, sis. Even you and the others here'll pass on one of these days. What's the use of being scared of something you can't avoid?" She then lays back. "All I care about is the way I die...and making sure my dad's gone before I die!!" she growls.  
  
Usagi shudders. She couldn't begin to imagine hating either of her parents so much that she would want to kill them on sight. Sure, they always went after her when she wanted to have fun instead of dealing with her responsibilities, but that was just being Mom and Dad. She loved them, she would protect them and she would always stay in touch even when she and Mamoru married and began the march to create Crystal Tokyo.  
  
But Nona's father had torn her life apart without caring one bit about what she wanted, killed her mother and tried to enslave nine other innocent women into becoming weapons to kill the Sailor Senshi. Whatever could possess someone to do THAT to their own flesh-and-blood? Was Daisuke Tsuruga THAT evil or was whoever he was working for controlling him somehow? Usagi dreaded learning the answer even though such a confrontation would come soon.  
  
By then, Junko emerges from her bedroom, dressed in a pair of fashionable slacks and a button shirt with ascot. "Hey, Minako-chan, you all set?!"  
  
"Eh?!" Minako blinks surprisedly.  
  
"Six-thirty? Capitol Theatre, remember?!" Junko nods to a wall-clock now stating 5:45 PM.  
  
"Oh, jeez!!" Minako blushes as she follows Junko to the door. "Forgot all about that! See you later, guys!!"  
  
The door slams shut before anyone could reply. "How could they think of a date at a time like this?!" Rei wonders.  
  
"Relax, Rei, we need the break," Usagi sighs. "Let them go have fun. After the bunch of daemons we killed today...how many was it again...?!"  
  
"Thirty-two by my count," Matsuri muses.  
  
"Thanks, Matsu-chan...I think whoever's after us might want to take stock of what she has left before lashing out again."  
  
"Well, maybe we can use the chance to have fun!" Tsuyako stretches herself, then gazes at Haruka and Michiru. "Ne, would you two care to join Nareta-chan and I for a double-date?"  
  
"We've love to!" Michiru exchanges smiles with her silver-haired sister Nareta Osoi, before looking at her life-mate. "What do you think, Haruka?"  
  
"Sure, why not?" Haruka smiles. "There's that new Greek restaurant down in Shinjiku we've always wanted to try."  
  
"I haven't had Greek since before I became a cyborg!" Nareta beams. "Anyone else interested?"  
  
The others respond negatively as people begin to pair up. Gurio walks out to stand beside Setsuna. "So, Setsu-chan," he gently grasps her hand. "WHEN will we go tonight?"  
  
"Hmmm...how about Philadelphia?!" Setsuna muses. "Say around the time of the Declaration of Independence."  
  
"Nothing interesting happened then," Gurio shrugs. "How about the sacking of Rome by Alaric?! That sounds interesting!"  
  
"I like his style for a raider," Setsuna hums. "Standing there making the senators sweat, vowing that he would sweep the city of gold, silver, valuables and slaves!"  
  
"'What does that leave us?!'" Gurio imitates a Roman senator on that bleak day in 410 A.D.  
  
"'Your lives,'" Setsuna parrots Alaric's immortal words.  
  
Everyone gapes in disbelief at them, stunned that two people like Gurio Umino and Setsuna Meiou would be a couple. "Setsuna-chan, are you sick?!!" Michiru races over to take her friend's temperature as Haruka checks her pulse and Hotaru does reflexes.  
  
"Cut it out!!" Setsuna yanks her arms and legs away. "Can't anyone have a little fun around here?!"  
  
"Anyone is NOT you, Setsuna!" Haruka asserts. "Whatever happened to Miss Ultra-Responsible?!"  
  
"Just because I'm a guardian of Time doesn't mean I can't have fun every once in a hundred years!" Setsuna snorts, then wraps an arm around Gurio's. "Besides, Gurio-kun here has such NICE dreams about me! Let's go, love!!"  
  
"Hai, Ojou-sama!" Gurio beams as they head out.  
  
"My sister, the Spinster of Time!" Yuki hums. "Never thought she had it in her!!"  
  
"***I'M NOT OLD, YUKI!!!!***" Setsuna screams from outside.  
  
"Neither did we!" Usagi muses to herself.  
  
As the others begin to disperse, Makoto sighs, then moves to leave when she sees Katsura standing there, looking somewhat alone. "Are you okay, Katsura?" Makoto wonders.  
  
"Well, I...I was wondering if you were busy tonight," Katsura feels her cheeks heat.  
  
"Me?!" Makoto blinks, then shrugs. "N-no, not really! Um, what do you want to do?"  
  
"Hit the shopping mall and see what's been fixed up, maybe do some shopping, then go eat..." Katsura shrugs.  
  
"Sure, no problem," Makoto nods, slipping an arm around the raven-haired cyborg's, then they depart.  
  
Soon, all that's left is Yuki and Sakebu. "Well, now that we've got the house to ourselves, what do we do?" the latter gazes at the former, a suggestive smile curling her lips.  
  
"Well..." Yuki muses, then sighs. "Come in, Nokoko-san."  
  
"You were expecting me?" Nokoko Moroboshi steps in from the balcony, Nicole beside her...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	3. Part 3 - Crossing Over

It is a watery place.  
  
The planet has no official name to the few races that live in systems close to it. The most commonly used nickname would translate "Waterworld" in our language. It is the inner of two worlds in its home solar system, orbiting its bright primary at roughly the same distance Earth orbits Sol. The other planet is a gas giant Jupiter's size, whose gravity is a fatal attraction to any asteroid that skirts close. Yet for those lucky few hunks of barren rock that tumble past the outer world and are drawn towards the inner, they normally find themselves flung back again into space by some unseen force. Observers from other worlds were baffled at the reason why, believing that no intelligent life could exist on a world whose surface was 99.99 percent water.  
  
Of course, they didn't think to look UNDER the surface.  
  
A space warp appears over the only known landmass, a small island near the equator. From it emerges Sailor Hades, Sailor Gaia, Nokoko Moroboshi and Nicole McTavish. The mistress of the crystal palace has a small container holding ten vials of blood in her hand. Tears gleam in Nokoko's eyes. "Oh, Blessed Mother Ocean, I've come home."  
  
"I've never seen such clean seas!" Gaia breathes in. "And the air is so pure here!! It's Paradise!"  
  
"If you don't mind living on such a small island, that is," Hades hefts her Styx Staff, then creates an energy bubble around the four. "Where to, Nokoko-san?"  
  
"That way," Nokoko points, then looks curious. "Are you sure you want a school of twelve, Yuki? There are only ten Twins."  
  
"Plus two more cyborgs under Kughra's control now," Hades reports. "I suspect that we'll be rescuing them soon enough."  
  
"Can you be sure?" Nicole asks.  
  
"Future predictions are Setsuna-chan's department, not mine," Hades reports as the bubble lifts off the island and soars north.  
  
A few minutes later, the bubble splashes into the ocean some two thousand kilometres away from the island, drawn in by Nokoko's warning. As the bubble submerges, everyone watches the crystalline seas grow dark as they escape the sunlight. "How far down do you people live?" Gaia wonders, fighting the urge to panic.  
  
"Usual depth is a kilometre," Nokoko relaxes. "But we can survive at three on occasion. Trenches on this planet can plunge to to six or seven in certain places. In the old days, we looked on them as forbidden places, gateways to the Black Ocean. 'Here be devil-sharks' as you might say it."  
  
After a minute or two, the bubble bounces off a high plateau, the top of a large undersea mountain. "So where are they?" Nicole looks around. "I can't sense them, love."  
  
"I can," Nokoko's eyes glow a deep burgundy.  
  
Everyone then tenses on feeling a gentle warmth flood her mind. Sister...after so long, you have returned.  
  
Nokoko smiles as a shuffling shape drifts towards them. Bowing her head, the Nendo-kata-turned-Terran school matriarch smiles. "It has been such a long time, sister."  
  
Indeed it has, the matriarch of the Cold Flat Mound school nods, a smile in her mental voice. You look well. The Unity has treated you kindly. Your form is unusual, but certainly no different than what we've come to expect.  
  
"You'll experience this soon, if you decide to help us," Nokoko sighs as she opens her mind.  
  
You need but ask.  
  
The two beings, one mammalian, the other mollusk, gaze at each other, their glowing eyes the only visible sign of their minds coming together in a powerful bond, one shared by those of the same blood. "Begorrah!" Nicole whistles as she gets a clearer picture of the untransformed Nendo-kata's skin markings and comparing them to her memories of the Outland school matriarch from twelve years before. "That really is Nokoko-chan's sister...her Nendo-kata sister, that is!"  
  
"I still don't understand how these beings can help us," Gaia shakes her head confusedly.  
  
"You'll understand soon enough, love," Nicole smiles.  
  
A moment later, the Cold Flat Mound matriarch extends a tentacle in to caress her sister's cheek. It has been so long since you and yours left us for the Outland, sister, the joy in her voice is tear-jerking. The Cold Flat Mound school will help the Outland school and the Agents of Unity called the Sailor Senshi defeat this sub-creature Kughra. When shall we go?  
  
"Now if you wish," Hades smiles.  
  
Let it be done...  
  
* * *  
  
"Sailor Twins"  
a tale of the Sailor Senshi  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir  
kush1@iaw.on.ca  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART THREE - CROSSING OVER  
  
"My Mistress."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"We lost thirty-two in the previous attack. Is it wise to strike now while our energy resources are so low?"  
  
Kughra smiles. "You're wise to ask that, my friend," she gazes at the senior survivor of the Dark Kingdom now in her employ. They were always cautious about using too much energy. "The Senshi Twins have finite energy levels. If we push it all the way, one or more can die tonight...and that means less for us to deal in the future. Send the teams out."  
  
"As you command, my Mistress."  
  
The creature vanishes. Kughra exhales lustily, then smiles. "Beryl!!!" she snaps her fingers.  
  
The nude form of the deposed queen of the Dark Kingdom walks into the chambers. "Yes?" her voice is thick with resentment.  
  
"Still defiant, eh?!" Kughra smiles. "I admire that."  
  
"You would feel the same way were you in my position," Beryl warns, her crimson eyes flashing.  
  
"Perhaps," Kughra shrugs. "Now, be silent and please me!"  
  
Beryl feels an invisible hand grasp her throat shut as she kneels before the dark princess. From the doorway leading into Kughra's bedchambers, Kyooko watches, turning away at the last moment, tears flowing down her cheeks...  
  
* * *  
  
"Beryl..."  
  
"Eh?!" Mamoru looks confusedly at Usagi. "What is it, Usako?"  
  
Usagi blinks, then stares at her boyfriend, Nona and Chooko. They now relax in an ice cream parlour near Juuban High School. "It's so weird, Muffin. I just had a vision of Queen Beryl."  
  
"Beryl?!" Nona blinks. "Wasn't she the sleezebag queen you people fought when you first came out?!"  
  
"That's her, alright," Mamoru nods. "But Beryl was killed in the Arctic years ago by Usako. You haven't thought of her ever since, love. You okay?" he stares concernedly at his girlfriend.  
  
"Not really," Usagi bites her lips. "And this wasn't Beryl as we know her. I saw her being forced to bow to someone. Someone a lot more powerful."  
  
Nona considers the point. "If the creep that did this to us rebuilt Beryl's asteroid, the chances are that she found some way to bring Beryl back to life," she scratches her chin. "Something tells me she could be used to distract us..."  
  
Her words are echoed as an explosion rocks a nearby gaming hall. "That's Motoki-kun's place!!" Mamoru gasps.  
  
"Perfect place for daemons to hit!!" Usagi leaps up. "Let's go do some monster-bashing!!!"  
  
"Right!!" Nona and Chooko nod as they race out...  
  
* * *  
  
"Get out of here, you people!!" Motoki Furuhata screams as patrons race out of the Crown Arcade, the centre of which now being wrecked by two ugly daemons now eating the machines like they were chocolate bars. "Oh, man, insurance won't cover this!" he mutters as he watches one move to a Sailor V machine.  
  
Suddenly, a rose impales itself on the monster's wrist! "Hold it, sleezebags!!!" a voice barks out.  
  
Motoki turns to see Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Diana and Sailor Chronos standing at the doorway, all ready for a fight. "Sailor V is my favourite game, sleezeoids!!!" Moon points at them. "Now you're gonna pay for ruining everyone's relaxation time!! In the name of Moon, we will punish you!!!"  
  
"Cool it with the speech, sis!!" Diana hisses. "Let's go!!"  
  
The monsters exchange smiles. "I wonder what a pair of 'borgs taste like!" one snarls.  
  
"Let's find out!!" the other cackles, leering at Sailor Diana. "Kughra-sama sends her compliments, Nona Tsuruga! Time for you to learn what it means to betray the Princess of Eternity!!"  
  
A blast of shrapnel lances out of their mouths. Before Diana could react, Chronos shoves her clear, then takes the attack on her back! The shrapnel rips her sailor fuku and skin open in dozens of places, nearly shredding her backbone as she is flung out of the arcade to smash into a telephone pole, causing it to double over!! "CHOOKO-CHAN!!!!!!" Diana screams. "NO!!!!!!"  
  
Motoki and Tuxedo Kamen race out as Moon and Diana leap in to attack. Staring at the shredded skin and the wrecked circuits and gears now exposed, the latter winces. "Gods, is she still alive?!"  
  
"What is she, Mamoru-kun?!" Motoki wonders. "A robot?!!"  
  
"Cyborg; her mind's still organic...oh, damn, you know?!!" Tuxedo Kamen gapes at his best friend.  
  
"You couldn't hide this from me!" Motoki smiles. "Besides, I always knew you looked great in a tux!!"  
  
Tuxedo Kamen mutters something under his breath, then leans down. "Chooko! C'mon, you still in there?! Chooko!!"  
  
Chronos' eyes flutter open as she gazes at the caped knight. "I'm...a mess...Mamoru-kun..."  
  
"How bad?!"  
  
"Too...much...no chance...to repair it..."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen turns away, fighting back tears. Motoki places a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder. "Mamoru-kun...?" Chronos reaches out to grasp his hand.  
  
The caped knight notices the time reaper placing a beautiful necklace in his hand. "Give it...to Nona-chan..." Chronos smiles as she feels her circuits shut down. "I wish...I could...have called...you...my brother-in-law..."  
  
"No...!!" Tuxedo Kamen reaches down...  
  
...then both men gasp as a strange glow encompasses Chronos, lifting her from the ground as the wrecked telephone pole is tossed aside. They then see a nude Chooko Nori standing three feet away, her eyes glowing a deep burgundy as she draws the fatally wounded cyborg to her. "You will not die. You and I will become one as we Cross Over together and embrace the ways of the Mother Ocean."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen and Motoki gasp as a burst of energy blinds them. A second later, the *clang!* of something metallic hitting the asphalt is heard. Both turn to see Chooko standing there now dressed in normal clothes, the skinned endoskeleton which had once held her life essence at her feet. Reaching down, Chooko opens a plate in the android's abdomen, extracting a glowing crystal. "The power is of the Cosmic Chain of Life...of the *te'a,*" Chooko smiles as her eyes glow. "It will serve us well."  
  
Energy warps around the crystal, reforming it into a henshin stick bearing Sailor Chronos' C-and-hourglass insignia. Once that is done, Chooko smiles at them, her eyes returning to normal. "It's alright, Mamoru-kun. I'm okay now."  
  
"You're a Nendo-kata!!" Tuxedo Kamen gasps.  
  
"Yes," Chooko nods. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." she points the henshin stick up. "CHRONOS TIME COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!"  
  
Energy melts her clothes into her sailor fuku, the Time Reaper appearing to land in her hand. Once the transformation is complete, Sailor Chronos glares at them. "Now, where are the sub-creatures who dared take me from my beloved's side?!"  
  
They point inside the wrecked arcade. "Thank you!" Chronos smiles as she races into battle.  
  
The two men exchange looks. "What's that all about?" Motoki blinks confusedly. "What's a Nendo-whatsis...?!"  
  
"Long story," Tuxedo Kamen rolls his eyes...  
  
* * *  
  
"Diana!!!" Moon screams.  
  
Diana howls in pain as a video machine smashes into her, sending her flying against a wall. The impact is enough to crush her hips and sever one of her arms at the elbow! As she collapses to the ground, the monsters cackle with glee. "You aren't so tough, 'borg!!" one snickers. "Now, it's lunchtime!!"  
  
"No!!!" Moon growls, gripping the Imperium Silver Crystal. "***YOU...LEAVE...MY...SISTER...ALONE!!!!!!***"  
  
A blaze of energy causes a whole section of the arcade's ceiling to collapse on the surprised monsters!! With that, Moon shoves the wrecked arcade machine off Diana, then kneels to help her back to her feet. "C'mon, Nona-chan..."  
  
"Hold on..." Diana bites her lips, then makes a wave with her hand. "Eclipse...Veil!!"  
  
Darkness descends over the room save for a shaft of light illuminating Moon and the crippled Diana. "What happened?!!" the former gasps surprisedly.  
  
"Door's...that way!" Diana points with the stump of her wrecked arm. "Go!!"  
  
Moon turns and drags her crippled twin away. The shaft of light follows them, illuminating a doorway that leads into an alley behind Motoki's arcade. With that, the Eclipse Veil vanishes, allowing Moon to see her surroundings. "Oh, that was close!" she breathes out. "Neat trick, sis!!"  
  
"Put me...down..." Diana shudders.  
  
Moon yelps as shattered circuits begin to spark from the gaping wounds in Diana's abdomen and legs. It was a miracle that she was still in one piece. Lowering her twin down, Moon gazes worriedly into Diana's eyes. "How bad is it?"  
  
"I'm a mess..." Diana smiles. "Guess my luck...ran out."  
  
"Don't say that."  
  
"Got no choice..." Diana shrugs.  
  
Suddenly, a shadow falls over them. Moon turns, then gasps in disbelief as a nude Nona gazes calmly at her. "WHO ARE YOU?!?!?!"  
  
The Nendo-kata's eyes glow as she elevates Diana into the air, then a blaze of energy blinds Moon for a second as their minds merge into one being. The glow then fades, revealing a dressed Nona holding a henshin stick with Sailor Diana's crescent moon and crossbow, the empty android shell that once held her spirit dropping to the ground with a hollow *clang!* Taking her stick, Nona calls, "DIANA LUNAR COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!" to perform her first transformation as an organic Senshi.  
  
Moon gapes as Sailor Diana appears, then twirls her javelin. "I'm in the mood for a hunt!!" the latter grins.  
  
"Let's party!!!" Moon nods.  
  
The two race into the arcade. Inside, the two monsters blink confusedly as they look around, Diana's Eclipse Veil having long faded. "Where'd the two pukes go?!!" one snarls.  
  
"Hungry?!" a voice wonders from the doorway.  
  
They turn to see Sailor Chronos standing there, her dark eyes glowing. Video machines then lift from the floor, soaring at the surprised daemons. "Here's an appetizer!" the time reaper smiles.  
  
Automatically, their gaping mouths yawn wide to take in the flying snacks. But before they could properly digest the treats, more video machines fly at them. "Here are some pachinko games for the first course!!" Chronos taunts.  
  
As Moon and Diana step into the games room, more machines fly into the monsters' mouths. "And some pinball games for the second course!" Chronos continues.  
  
"Boy, they're hungry, aren't they?!" Moon whistles.  
  
"Some combat games for the third!" Chronos heaps several more games into the monsters' gaping jaws.  
  
By now, both are about to burst. Chronos then levitates a Sailor V game. "Hold it, Chronos!!" Moon calls out.  
  
"What?" Chronos blinks.  
  
"Not the Sailor V game!"  
  
"Sorry," Chronos puts it down.  
  
"Boy, they look full," Diana raises a fist, her energy darts appearing. "Time for them to get some relief!!"  
  
Chronos ducks as the moon huntress lashes out with her darts. The bolts slash through the monsters, causing the half-consumed video games within them to explode, killing them both in the blink of an eye!! Diana and Moon are protected by a telekinetic shield the former raises, then relax as the smoke clears. "Now that's what I'd call acid indigestion!" the latter whistles.  
  
"Too much iron in their diet," the former grins.  
  
The lunar twins laugh. Tuxedo Kamen and Motoki walk in, gaping at the sea of destruction before them. "Oh, shit!!" the latter sighs. "Who's going to pay for this mess?! I can't!"  
  
"Oh?!" Chronos muses, then smiles. "Well, step outside! I have something I want to try!!"  
  
Everyone vacates the arcade as Chronos takes the Time Reaper in hand and focuses on the wreckage in the games room. After telekinetically dispersing the monsters' bodies into ashes, she then raises the Reaper and aims. "***TIME REVERSAL!!!!!!***"  
  
The arcade is bathed in a burst of energy!! A second later, the energy fades, revealing a restored arcade with everything back in place. "Wow!!" Motoki whistles admiringly. "You are one handy lady to have around after a disaster, Sailor Chronos!"  
  
"Arigato!" Chronos blushes.  
  
"She always had that ability, but she couldn't muster the power to do that until now!" Diana muses. "Not bad!!"  
  
Tuxedo Kamen then remembers the pendant Chronos gave him before her Crossing Over, then hands it to her. "You need this."  
  
"Thank you, Mamoru-kun," Chronos then walks over to place the pendant around Diana's neck. "For you, my love."  
  
"Oh, Chooko-chan..." Diana sniffs, then tenderly kisses her. "Now we are One."  
  
"We are One, Nona-chan," Chronos smiles.  
  
"Oh, that's so beautiful!" Moon sniffs, wiping her eyes.  
  
Her communicator then beeps impatiently. "Sailor Terra to Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" Terra's face appears on the screen.  
  
"I'm here, Terra. What's wrong?!" Moon blinks.  
  
"You're not gonna believe this, but something really weird just happened to all the Senshi Twins!"  
  
"Let me guess," Moon hums. "An organic double of everyone shows up, merges minds with the Twins, then they transformed and trashed whatever monster might've been in the area, right?!"  
  
"Good guess...oh, don't tell me!" Terra sighs. "It happened to Diana and Chronos, right?!"  
  
"Right," Moon nods. "Let's meet at the Twins' apartment in a couple hours so we can talk this over!"  
  
"I'll pass it on. Terra out."  
  
As the screen blanks out, Moon then looks at Diana. "Now, will you mind telling me what's going on, sis?! What happened?!"  
  
"The Nendo-kata happened, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Kamen supplies.  
  
Moon blinks, then sighs. "Oh, that explains it!"  
  
"Not to me it doesn't!" Motoki scratches the back of his head. "Hey, since Chronos just fixed everything, want to come inside for some coffee? I've been trying to figure you guys out since I realized who Mamoru-kun is and I still don't get half of it!!"  
  
"You, too?!" Moon wonders. "Geez, first Naru-chan, then Gurio-kun, now you! Who next, my parents?! I swear, if my little spore of a brother finds out, everyone in Tokyo'll know it next!!"  
  
Everyone laughs as they head inside...  
  
* * *  
  
"***THE NENDO-KATA?!?!?!***"  
  
The daemons standing in Kughra's chambers stagger under the explosive rage of the dark princess as she watches the image of the Nendo-kata twin of Junko Satoda absorbing the soul of Sailor Zeus in Psi-Unity, the final act of the Crossing Over. Her rage at the sight of the one race whose passionate defence of Creation had stymied so many over the thousands of years they've roamed the Universe is intimidating. "My Mistress, you know these beings?!" one hesitantly inquires, bowing respectfully.  
  
"Know them?!!" Kughra snarls. "They're like parasites, coming out of nowhere to destroy everything people have done to gain what they've desired, all in the name of some pathetic Unity that allows the weak to rule and the strong to wither!!! Why didn't someone find out that they had a foothold on this planet?!!"  
  
"We never heard of them before now, Mistress!" a daemon of the Dark Kingdom sputters. "Are they really that dangerous?!"  
  
Kughra stares at him. "Imagine a RACE of Queen Serenities armed with the Imperium Silver Crystal!! That is the Nendo-kata!"  
  
The daemons gape, not believing that Fate had thrown beings like THIS before their path. "What can we do?!" one wonders.  
  
"We wait!" Kughra sighs, relaxing on her throne. "To defeat the Nendo-kata takes time and much patience! We will develop that patience!! All of you rest now, build your energy stores! I will decide when we will attack next!! Go!"  
  
The daemons shuffle away. Unseen, Kyooko and Beryl watch from their private chambers beside Kughra's room. "What are the Nendo-kata?" the latter muses as they return to the simple bed they shared. "I've never heard of them before!"  
  
"I have," Kyooko sits beside her. "They're some alien race Ataru Moroboshi and Lum encountered some months ago, just before my husband rebuilt me into this. No one's seen them in action, but they're said to be so powerful, even the Sagussans or the Urusians avoid getting them angry!"  
  
"Interesting," Beryl wryly grins. "To have a race of beings I would've gladly destroyed at the first opportunity be the one hope for you and I to escape this place is truly ironic."  
  
"I'm glad Nona-chan and her friends are free," Kyooko sighs, then stares at her companion. "Have you ever had children?"  
  
Beryl blinks, unused to having a question like THAT shot across her bow. "Um...no!" she shakes her head.  
  
"Maybe if you did, you wouldn't've been so hell-bent on trying to conquer Earth," Kyooko muses.  
  
"I...never thought of that," Beryl admits. "I confess, all I saw of the people around me were soldiers, servants to extend my will. I must admit...I'm not used to this."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"Kyooko!! Beryl!!" Kughra barks.  
  
Both cyborgs jerk suddenly as they automatically march before the dark princess, all rational thought vanishing as they are once again made to give Kughra pleasure...  
  
* * *  
  
"It seems we're in your debt again, Nicole," Luna smiles as everyone gathers in the Twins' apartment later. "Thank you. I confess I'd never thought of asking for the Nendo-kata to come assist us in this matter."  
  
"We're happy to be of help, love," Nicole scratches the raven-furred cat's head, eliciting a delighted purr from Luna. "We'd've been involved ourselves, but our wee ones are about due and we won't risk them even if we can stop this slug."  
  
"We understand," Artemis nods. "Thanks again."  
  
Parting from the Senshi and the Senshi Twins, Nokoko and Nicole board a small crystal skiff for the trip back to Oshika. "Well, now that's solved, we can finally relax," Usagi yawns. "Oh, by the way, did everyone get rid of their old bodies?!"  
  
Affirmative nods. "The one thing I can't understand is why the Cold Flat Mound school was asked to come," Nona muses. "There are twelve in that school and only ten have Crossed Over. The other two are still waiting in the ground floor pool."  
  
"There will be two more, Nona-chan," Yuki speaks up from beside Setsuna. "Your mother's alive."  
  
"WHAT?!?!?!" Nona spins on her. "Mom's alive?!!"  
  
"I couldn't tell you until events properly played themselves out, Nona," Yuki sighs. "If I told you before you Crossed Over, you would've charged headlong to Kughra's planetoid and died. At least this way, you have a fighting chance!"  
  
"She's right, sis," Usagi walks up to her. "Don't worry! We'll get your mother out of there! Yuki, who else is involved?!"  
  
"Beryl, believe it or not."  
  
"BERYL?!?!?!" the inner Senshi exclaim.  
  
"Yes," Yuki nods. "Kughra brought her back, then had Nona-chan's father turn her into a cyborg so she could be a pet toy for the dark princess' amusement. She's there right now."  
  
"I don't know whether to be pleased or sickened at the thought of that sleeze-queen back alive," Minako sighs.  
  
"Enough, Minako," Luna sighs. "Like it or not, Beryl is a victim of Kughra's madness. We have to rescue her."  
  
"Besides, if Neflyte could learn, so could she," Naru adds.  
  
"You'll forgive us if we take THAT with a grain of salt, Naru-chan," Rei sighs. "Then again, fighting Beryl did warm us up for creeps like the Black Moon Clan, Mistress Nine and Galaxia."  
  
"True," Makoto sighs. "So what now?!"  
  
"I say it's time for us to rest and relax," Luna sighs. "With no more worries concerning the Twins' power problems, we'll be more than ready for the next time Kughra pays a visit."  
  
"We should hit them now," Haruka warns.  
  
"Without knowing the lay of the ground, Haruka-chan?" Matsuri hums. "Without knowing how many we're up against? Let's take this one step at a time, okay? Even Nendo-kata can die given the right sort of circumstances. I don't want to press my luck until I'm comfortable in this form and with myself."  
  
"Matsuri has a point," Luna nods. "It's time to rest and regather our wits. Besides, the Twins' lives were put on hold when they became cyborgs. They need the chance to get their lives back in order. I expect all of you to help," she turns to the Senshi.  
  
"No problem," Usagi nods, then hugs Nona's arm. "Besides, I want to introduce you to Mom and Dad."  
  
"How're we going to explain me?" Nona wonders.  
  
"Well, if Gurio-kun and Motoki-kun figured us out already, I can guess Mom and Dad have an inkling of what's going on..."  
  
* * *  
  
"...the Sailor Senshi and the Sailor Senshi Twins were busy last night," a radio talk show host blares over the kitchen stereo as Mrs. Tsukino prepares breakfast for a beautiful Sunday. "One fight in the early afternoon against thirty or more monsters in the Juuban mall, then separate fights across the district in the late evening. Who's attacking us this time? What's their big beef with Earth now? Can the Senshi succeed? Let's take your calls..."  
  
Usagi's mother sighs as she checks the rice cooker. "They better succeed," she muses. "I don't want to lose my only child to some outer-space monster."  
  
"You don't have to worry."  
  
She turns to see Usagi standing there, a smile on her face as she holds her transformation broach in hand. "Usagi-chan..."  
  
"I'm glad you know now," Usagi walks over to embrace her mother. "It's been hard keeping this from you."  
  
"It's been even harder watching you fight those things," her mother sighs as she returns to watching over the food, then stops as tears stream down her cheeks. "Who are you?"  
  
"What?!" Usagi blinks.  
  
"Who ARE you?!" her mother faces her. "Are you my child?!"  
  
"Yes, Mom, I'm your child!" Usagi nods. "I'm Usagi Tsukino. It's just that Fate chose me to carry on a mission that was left undone a thousand years ago, chose me to get the power Princess Serenity had and be Sailor Moon. In this life, I am Usagi. I am your daughter. That will NEVER change, Mom!"  
  
Silence falls as they gaze at each other, then they embrace. "I hope so, sweetie," Mrs. Tsukino sighs. "Seeing you out there facing those things day in and out for three years and more...when will it end?! When?!"  
  
"It won't end, Mom," Usagi shakes her head. "There have been so many times I've wished this to go away and be a normal girl. But try as I might, I can't escape it. After all this time, I've come to accept it. I don't like it, but I accept it."  
  
"Does Naru's mother understand why she became Sailor Terra?" her mother demands. "What about Ami's mother or Rei's grandfather or Minako's parents? And Makoto, what about her? And the Twins and the Outers?! Do they understand or are they in the dark?!"  
  
"Mako-chan's parents died years ago in a plane crash," Usagi sighs. "I don't know about Naru-chan or the Inners. The Outers live by themselves, so it really doesn't matter. As for the Twins, except for Nona-chan, I'm not sure if their parents are still alive or the creep that turned them into cyborgs killed their parents at the same time. We haven't had the chance to ask; this Kughra is really keeping the pressure up."  
  
"Cyborgs...?" Mrs. Tsukino gasps.  
  
"REAL long story, Mom," Usagi shakes her head, then blinks. "Oh, by the way, I'm inviting some people over later. You mind?"  
  
"Who...?!"  
  
The doorbell rings. Usagi jogs to the front door, opens it, then smiles. "C'mon in, you two!" she waves Nona and Chooko inside. "You're just in time!"  
  
"Thanks, sis," Nona smiles as they slip off their shoes.  
  
Mrs. Tsukino walks into the living room, then gasps on seeing a red-haired Usagi and a double of Hotaru standing there. "Who?!"  
  
Usagi smiles. "Mom, this is Nona Tsuruga, Sailor Diana...and her life-mate, Chooko Nori, Sailor Chronos! Nona-chan, Chooko-chan, this is my mother. Don't worry, she knows the basics."  
  
"How do you do, ma'am," Nona and Chooko bow.  
  
Mrs. Tsukino sighs...  
  
* * *  
  
The doorbell peals. Makoto runs to the door, opening it to see Katsura standing there, spiffily dressed in a button shirt, leather tie and slacks. "Ready?"  
  
"Yep," Makoto nods as she grabs her bag, then the two walk out of the apartment. Awaiting them is a beautiful sports car similar in style to Haruka's. "Hey, did you borrow this from Haruka?!"  
  
"No, it's mine," Katsura chauffeurs Makoto into the passenger seat, then hops behind the wheel. "I made a lot of money on betting on races and all that, Mako-chan. My parents made a lot of their wealth off gambling, believe it or not. You might say until the day I got hepatitis, I was blessed with good luck."  
  
"Wow!" Makoto whistles as the sports car lunges out of the lot and into traffic. "So what about the others? Are their families still alive or did Kughra get them?"  
  
"Yeah, far as we can tell," Katsura nods. "It was hard on us trying to contact them over the last few months. Look how much we changed physically?" she pulls a picture from her wallet.  
  
Makoto looks. The pre-Senshi Twin Katsura Utai was a nearly anorexic, mousy girl with an angular face, glasses, an overbite and freckles. Comparing it to the tomboyish beauty beside her, she could realize how hard it would have been for the Twins to contact relatives. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she wonders.  
  
"I have to," Katsura sighs. "One way or another, I have to tell my family I'm still alive."  
  
* * *  
  
An hour later, the car drives into the parking lot of a horse track near Atami. "Nice place!" Makoto wonders as they head inside, then file into line by the betting wickets.  
  
A few minutes later, Katsura leans into the booth to gaze at the ticket teller working there. "Twenty thousand on Number Six," she smiles, slipping off her sunglasses.  
  
"Hai, twenty thousand on Six," the clerk nods, typing on her keyboard, then hands Katsura the ticket.  
  
Katsura places down two 10,000 yen notes, then winks at her. "Thanks, Teruko-chan!" she takes the ticket.  
  
Teruko blinks, then stares intently at this stranger who knew her name; she didn't have a nametag or a plate marking her spot. "Who are...no!" her eyes widen as she gazes deeply into her older sister's eyes, then screams. "Katsu-onee-chan!!!"  
  
People watch as the two embrace. Makoto smiles...  
  
* * *  
  
"Gods, what sort of cosmetic surgery is this?!" Teruko walks around Katsura, stunned at the change. They now relax in the staff lounge after Teruko got someone to take her place. "You grew twenty more centimetres, got your hair and face changed, put on a few kilos; I'd swear you were a different woman!!"  
  
"Believe me, Teruko-chan, this is a VERY long story!" Katsura sighs. "Where's Mom and Dad?"  
  
"In the stands waiting for the second race to start; they got a good run on Number Four," Teruko reports, then stares at Makoto. "So, who's this? Your new girlfriend?!"  
  
Makoto flushes. "Geez, will you stop that?!" Katsura slaps her forehead. "I swear...!"  
  
"Relax, relax!" Teruko laughs, then bows to Makoto. "Sorry about that! I always get her going like that whenever I start talking about her girlfriends!! Makoto, right? You want to make a bet before the third race?!"  
  
"I'm not the betting type," Makoto shakes her head. "Thanks anyway, Teruko-chan. C'mon, Katsu-chan, let's go see your mom and dad and get this over with."  
  
"Hai, hai," Katsura nods as they head out.  
  
*Oh, welcome back, sis!* Teruko sighs as she returns to her booth. *It's so good to have you around again! Mom and Dad were lost without you! What happened...?!*  
  
Upstairs, Katsura and Makoto enter the spectator's lounge. There, two middle-aged people gaze out on the track as the horses line up for the second race. Katsura checks out Number Four, a well-bred stallion named Meido. "They haven't put him out to stud yet?" she muses to herself, then smiles.  
  
"Will he win?" Makoto wonders.  
  
"Two lengths at least," Katsura muses.  
  
The couple turns to her, both blinking surprisedly. "You seem very confident in that, young lady," Mrs. Utai muses.  
  
"Mom, I've done that a lot, remember?" Katsura grins.  
  
Stunned silence falls as the Utais gape at their transformed daughter, then with a cry, embrace her. Makoto smiles as she hangs back to allow Katsura the chance to unite with her parents...  
  
* * *  
  
"SUNARU HEAVENLY COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!!!!!"  
  
The Utais and Teruko blink as a funnel of energy warps around Katsura, shredding her clothes and reforming them into her sailor fuku. Right now, the family and Makoto are on the back porch of their secluded home in the mountains near Atami. "Whoa!!!" Teruko whistles as Sailor Sunaru emerges. "My sister the superhero!! Cool!!! So what's the speech?!"  
  
"What speech?!" Sunaru wonders.  
  
"Oh, c'mon, sis, you Senshi always have this speech you make when you go off to fight the bad guys! What is it?!"  
  
Sunaru hums, then assumes a dramatic pose. "Prepare to bid farewell to Earth, demons, for the Mistress of Wind, Sailor Sunaru, will show you the Stairway to Heaven!!"  
  
"You know, the Twins really think up some real nice speeches!" Makoto grins as she sips her lemonade. "Where were you guys when we needed a good speech writer?!"  
  
The others laugh. "You wouldn't be Sailor Zeus, would you?" Mr. Utai stares at her.  
  
"No, sir, I'm Sailor Jupiter," Makoto smiles, holding up her henshin stick with the astrological symbol of her planet. "I'm the original. Junko Satoda is Sailor Zeus."  
  
"Way too cool! You must be really busy with these monsters coming through now, eh?!" Teruko gushes.  
  
"Well, after the bloody noses we've given them, they seem to be cooling their heels...for a while," Makoto sighs. "But you can bet, they'll be back. Hopefully by then, we'd've adjusted to being with each other and forged a plan to stop them in their tracks. At the same time, we want to help the Twins get back together with their families as best as we can."  
  
With that, Sunaru reverts to Katsura. "We are more than grateful for you to bring our daughter back, Kino-san," Mrs. Utai smiles. "Will you stay for dinner?"  
  
"I'll help make it!" Makoto volunteers.  
  
"Relax, Mako-chan," Katsura laughs. "You're the guest here. Besides, I don't want to spoil Dad and Teruko-chan with your cooking since they slobber too much over Mom's!"  
  
Everyone laughs as Katsura and her mother head to the kitchen. Outside, Teruko and her dad bombard Makoto with questions about the Sailor Senshi's many battles. "She's a lovely girl, Katsu-chan," Mrs. Utai smiles as she prepares the rice. "And I can tell you're interested in her."  
  
"I don't want to pop that on her just yet, Mom," Katsura feels her cheeks redden. "Is she my type? I don't know; I've only known her for three days. I like her very much and I'll be with her for some time to come, but I don't want to press myself on her."  
  
"You'll be a perfect couple, Katsu-chan," her mother pats her arms. "Besides, you said that now you can only mate with other women. Mako-chan seems a decent sort."  
  
"That's true," Katsura sighs. "But even though the Senshi've dealt with the Outland school, I don't think they can comprehend what a Nendo-kata really is. Thank the Mother Ocean that we don't have that six-month limit on having babies after we Cross Over these days; if we were all pregnant and things happened, we'd be in a real world of hurt. I just have to work on getting to know her a bit at a time, Mom. I'm not going to rush it."  
  
"Good for you; besides, you'll have her parents to deal with sooner or later," Mrs. Utai muses.  
  
Katsura winces. "Mom...Mako-chan's parents died some years ago in a plane crash," she bites her lips.  
  
Her mother pales. "What about relatives...?"  
  
"None. She's lived alone ever since."  
  
"Alone?!" the older woman gasps, covering her mouth in horror at the emotional cost Makoto had paid over the years. "That poor girl," she gazes at their guest, now miming a big explosion to a wide-eyed Teruko. "All alone? No friends...?"  
  
"Well, she's got the other Senshi to be with," Katsura sighs. "She's a really tough woman, Mom."  
  
Mrs. Utai then sighs. "That's on the outside, Katsu-chan. On the inside, I'll guarantee it's a different matter. We'll discuss this with her at dinner, alright?"  
  
"Mom...!"  
  
"Enough!!" Mrs. Utai holds up a finger. "Even if Fate gave you this great power, child, there comes a time when you will want to shed the sailor suit and be a normal woman, live with a normal family and forget all the weirdness that seems to follow the Sailor Senshi like a dark kami. For that, you need a supportive family. If Makoto-chan doesn't have a supportive family, sooner or later, something could drive her over the edge. It's not right!"  
  
Katsura bites her lips. "I guess so..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Adopt me as part of your family?!!"  
  
Makoto stares at the Utais after they finished dinner. Teruko was busy clearing dishes. Katsura holds her hand. "Yes, child," Mrs. Utai nods. "Katsu-chan told us what happened to your parents. It isn't right by any shade of the imagination that anyone is left abandoned. I know you have some money inherited from your parents, but you need an emotional support base as well. That is where a family comes in...and that is where we want to come in."  
  
"Mrs. Utai, you don't have to..."  
  
"We want to," Katsura gazes at her. "Mako-chan, look. I know you've lived out on your own for the last five years or so. That's a gutsy thing to do for someone your age. But there comes a time when you want to kick back and relax. Hell, in what we're doing, we need that more than most other people. I need my parents even now, especially now. You need a loving family, too."  
  
Makoto bites her lips, trying not to cry. "Katsu-chan..."  
  
"Please," Katsura gazes at her.  
  
Makoto shudders as she feels her tears flow. It had been a very rough time over the last while living alone in a spacious apartment, the only people coming by being her friends. She had so little left of her family, just pictures and other mementoes. There were times when she wished there was someone close to her that she could talk to, be with, use to unload her frustrations, vent her anger and sorrow at the madness that seemed to cover her like a shroud.  
  
Strong arms embrace her as she barely hears Katsura's soothing words, allowing the dam to burst and her pent-up emotions to finally flow forth. Makoto hugs Katsura for all she is worth, beyond grateful to this beautiful stranger who came out of the blue to offer her home and family as a place of sanctuary from the unending demands of a Sailor Senshi. They were not just partners in battle. They were now sisters, family. Perhaps one day they'd be more than that. But that was still far into the future. Now, all Makoto wanted was the warmth of a family who loved and cared for her as if she was born of them.  
  
And it really felt good!  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	4. Part 4 - Families and Schools

"***WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?!***"  
  
Daisuke Tsuruga trembles, cowering from the flames of Kughra's enraged glare. The lifeless cyborg bodies of Kyooko and Beryl lay still on their beds, unresponsive to the dark princess' commands for the last hour. "I don't understand it, Mistress!" the scientist shakes his head. "Their systems are operating perfectly! It's just that their minds...their minds are gone!"  
  
Wheeling away, Kughra growls as she storms back into her chambers, muttering a litany of choice oaths in her native tongue. She should've guessed that someone, perhaps Sailor Hades, knew about Kyooko and Beryl, then saw two Nendo-kata come to Earth to absorb their spirits and perform their bizarre transformation-unification ritual. Slumping on her throne, she gazes at the image of Earth in a scrying glass. Very soon.  
  
Very soon...  
  
* * *  
  
Water explodes!  
  
Two lithe forms leap out from the ground floor pool at the Twins' apartment, escaping the birthing sacs that had, over the last twenty-four hours, gestated new bodies for the air-breathers known as Kyooko Tsuruga and Beryl. Gasping for air, the two drift to the shallow end, stepping out of the pool in a robotic haze, then slumping on a bench. Behind them, their Nendo-kata forms disintegrate in the chlorine-filled water, surrendering at last to the Cosmic Chain of Life. "Wh-what happened?!" Kyooko spits up some water, then gazes quizzically at Beryl.  
  
"I...I don't know..." the deposed queen of the Dark Kingdom looks confusedly around, then stares at her hands. "Last thing I remember, we were in our room after Kughra..."  
  
She shudders, the revulsion of her enforced submission to the dark princess' private lusts causing her empty stomach to churn nauseously. "Then...where are we?!" Kyooko looks around.  
  
Their eyes then glow. "Welcome to your new life," a voice ventures from nearby.  
  
A tall woman with long black hair dressed in very stylish slacks and shirt appears gazing at them. "Who...who are you?" Kyooko blinks confusedly.  
  
"I'm Clarisse Ike, bard of the Outland school of the Nendo-kata," the pop star smiles. "Welcome to your new life, sisters. Your Nendo-kata halves decided not to wait and asked me to draw your human halves away from their machine shells so that your schoolmates and their friends didn't have to worry about rescuing you when it came time for them to confront Kughra."  
  
Kyooko and Beryl gaze at each other, then jolt as images flood their minds. Thoughts and beliefs capable of overwhelming their very sense of self appear, but instead of conquering their human psyches, merge with them, forming a new psyche that drew strength from the best parts of both halves. In a minute, they regain their sense of self, gazing at each other. "We're free..." the former smiles, then embraces the latter. "We're free!"  
  
"Yes, we are," Beryl sighs. "Forgive me, Kyooko-chan. I am not...used to being this way. Everything a Nendo-kata is stands square against everything I once fought for."  
  
"Hush, Beryl-chan," Kyooko smiles. "You paid for your past misdeeds against the Unity when Sailor Moon condemned you to the Cosmic Chain of Life some years ago. There is no need to apologize for your discomfort. You cannot fight what you are now."  
  
Beryl accepts an offered towel from Clarisse. "No, I can't. But those who once swore loyalty to me would find it ironic that the one who led them would destroy them without hesitation for their crimes against the Universal School...were they alive."  
  
"It's alright, Beryl," Clarisse grins. "It took me a while to adjust to a Nendo-kata's way of thinking. Take your time. But, in the meantime," she turns to the pool, her eyes glowing.  
  
The ashes that once were the Nendo-kata who had created the new Beryl and Kyooko vanish in a flash of energy. With that, Clarisse picks up two shopping bags and hands them to the newly Crossed Over members of the Cold Flat Mound school. "I bought some clothes for you two," she smiles. "Get dressed so I can take you out and get something to eat."  
  
The two nod...  
  
* * *  
  
"Sailor Twins"  
a tale of the Sailor Senshi  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir  
kush1@iaw.on.ca  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART FOUR - FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS  
  
"Hello, Papa, Mama."  
  
Setsuna closes her eyes as Yuki places the roses on the simple grave marker located in the hills some distance from Iwaki, then kneels to pray. "Papa, Mama, I'm alright now. I'm human again," the guardian of Eternity smiles. "This is Setsuna Meiou, the woman I told you about, the one who once guarded Time for the Silver Millennium. I adopted her as my sister. I hope you like her."  
  
"Hello, Mr. Tetsujo, Mrs. Tetsujo," Setsuna bows, then kneels beside Yuki to join her in prayer.  
  
A few minutes later, the two walk back to Yuki's car. "Does Sakebu-chan know how old you really are?" Setsuna wonders.  
  
"Oh, yes," Yuki smiles. "She's always been into history, so it really made her happy to find out that her life-mate was born when the black ships first visited Edo. I think Papa and Mama like you very much, Setsuna-chan."  
  
"I'm glad," Setsuna feels her cheeks heat.  
  
It seemed strange to say that of two people who died before the turn of the century, but given their powers atop Yuki's Nendo-kata beliefs, the concept of spirits laying where their mortal remains were interred was sacred to the guardian of Eternity. Setsuna knew that when they sensed their own demise, Nendo-kata would seek out the place where their parents and ancestors had themselves gone for their eternal rest. Usually, it was a trench kilometres below the lowermost limit Nendo-kata could survive on their homeworld, hence the term "Black Ocean" for their concept of the afterlife. Whenever Nendo-kata schools came to pay homage to their kin, they always gathered in an undersea plateau close to those trenches for a period of meditation, of communion with the souls of the departed. Yuki COULD speak to her parents and did, more so now than before when she just had the *te'a's* Power...  
  
* * *  
  
"So, you turned to the Nendo-kata to get help in dealing with this creep, eh?!" Kooan smiles as she passes out tea. "That was smart. Prince Demand wouldn't DREAM of locking horns with them. They're so powerful, even Wiseman was scared."  
  
"Makes me wonder what'll happen to the Twins in the future," Minako nods as she takes her cup, gazing at Junko.  
  
"Whatever the Cosmic Chain of Life directs, Minako-chan," Junko smiles. "Even we must answer to That Power in the end."  
  
The Black Moon sisters blink as they gaze on Makoto's twin. Everyone was now relaxing in the apartment the four refugees from the thirtieth century had purchased for themselves in the wake of their conversion. "Near as I can remember, there was this big fight between Sailor Diana and Queen Serenity that caused a split between the Senshi and the Twins," Beruche hums. "But I could be wrong; our memories of the future are vanishing the more time we spend in this period."  
  
"It's best you say no more, Beruche-chan," Junko sighs. "To know one's fate is one thing even the Nendo-kata shouldn't be privy to. Our biggest character fault...if that...is our overwhelming drive to stamp out disUnity wherever we find it, regardless of personal consequences. It has seen many of the Great School cast into the Black Ocean. Believe me, I welcome the chance to be at peace and get to know the adopted members of my school better before we confront the sub-creature now in orbit over this world."  
  
"Especially Minako-chan, right?" Kooan smiles knowingly.  
  
"Eh?!" Minako blinks, then flushes. "Oh, c'mon, Kooan! Junko-chan and I're just friends!!"  
  
"You know Nendo-kata can only reproduce with other females through parthenogenesis, Minako-chan," Beruche grins. "Sooner or later, Junko-chan'll answer the call of Nature...and by the looks of things, you've been picked to help her when that time comes."  
  
Minako's cheeks redden at that idea. Was she a...? No! Impossible! Nothing intimate happened between her and Junko while the latter was still a cyborg, even though she made it clear that she found Minako attractive and very desirable. They had gone on one date to the theatre to watch a movie, but things went crazy with the massed attack of daemons that saw Junko become a Nendo-kata. She did know of that race's peculiar reproductive abilities from the Senshi's brief meeting with Nokoko Moroboshi's school, but never once thought that a Nendo-kata would come after her!  
  
They gaze at each other. "You...really like me?" Minako asks.  
  
"Hai," Junko nods. "In my eyes, you would be the perfect mate whenever I desire to have a child. But since my race no longer has the pressing need to procreate within six months of a Crossing Over, I can wait. And if you choose not to, there are many others I could chose from," she gazes at the Black Moon sisters.  
  
They jerk, BIG sweat drops appearing on their heads. "Not us!!!" Kooan cries. "We already have boyfriends!! Lay off, huh?!"  
  
"Pity," Junko muses.  
  
Minako then looks around, noting one of the sisters missing. "Hey, guys, by the way, where's Pattsu? Is she working at the boutique?"  
  
Downcast looks respond. "She...wants to be alone right now," Karabekasu sighs. "Today's the anniversary of Saphil's..."  
  
Clapping her hand against her forehead, Minako groans. "Oh, jeez, I forgot!"  
  
* * *  
  
"How interesting?!" Kughra gazes at the images of the Black Moon sisters, then lays back. "Well, the energy from that fight still lingers in Tokyo. Time for a little reunion or two...!"  
  
With that, she spreads her hands, blinding energy forming an arc between her palms. The bolts then lash out into nothingness. A second later, three bolts of energy strike the floor before the dark princess. They morph into the forms of three people, the black upside-down crescent on their foreheads proclaiming their allegiance to something that wouldn't exist for a thousand years.  
  
Kughra relaxes as the first recovers, gazing confusedly around the dark room. "Where am I...who are you?!" Rubius snarls as he takes a defensive stance.  
  
"You're Rubius, aren't you?" Kughra smiles. "What's the last thing you remember before coming here?"  
  
Rubius blinks, then snarls. "I was fighting the Sailor Senshi and the daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity struck me down...and now I'm here, wherever here is!" he looks around. "And who are you?!"  
  
"You're on a planetoid in orbit over Earth back in what the Terrans call the twentieth century, some three years after your Black Moon Clan tried to destroy Crystal Tokyo long before it was born," Kughra smiles. "A good plan that would have worked had you properly understood the power you faced and prepared for it. I warped you away from that battle in the last nano-second to prevent your being lost to Eternity. As for who I am..." she pauses dramatically. "I am Kughra. Consider me your new employer."  
  
Rubius blinks, then relaxes. "Well, anyone who can pull a feat like that deserves my respect. So why am I here?"  
  
"Let's just say that I've collected you and your two clansmen to harass the Sailor Senshi and the Senshi Twins until I've gathered enough energy to complete the task you were sent back in time to perform," Kughra hums. "I do not want you to destroy them; there are now twenty of the little beasts...and I don't like seeing good people wasted on foolish missions."  
  
Rubius blinks. "The Twins?! Twenty of them?! That means that Terra, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn are amongst them now! In the time of Crystal Tokyo, we only had to deal with the Inner Senshi and Pluto! That was by sheer luck!"  
  
"Luck shouldn't be ignored," Kughra muses, then notices the other two from the Black Moon rising. "Welcome back, Esmerald, Saphil. I trust you survived your 'resurrection' well."  
  
The two blink surprisedly, then gaze at Rubius. "What's going on here?!!" Esmerald snarls. "Last thing I remember, that back-stabbing Wiseman was trying to banish me into the Dark...!"  
  
"It's a long story," Rubius shrugs.  
  
Following a quick explanation, the two new arrivals nod. "Well, since you did save our lives, I suppose we could repay the favour," Esmerald hums. "What happens if one of the Senshi dies?"  
  
"That is the fortunes of battle, my dear," Kughra hums, then fires a warning gaze at them. "And in case you think of something stupid, don't. What I can give, I can easily take away."  
  
Esmerald sighs. "I understand."  
  
"What of you, Saphil?" the dark princess turns to gaze on the quite handsome raven-haired man in the black uniform, the wounds received from fighting Prince Demand healed.  
  
"Much that I do appreciate being saved, I've many other things on my mind now," Saphil tenses, knowing his words could be the end of him. "You might as well kill me now and be done with it."  
  
Esmerald and Rubius gape in disbelief at their clansman's defiance. Kughra laughs. "I do admire honesty!!" she sips her wine, then stares at him. "No, I won't kill you, Saphil. You are useful even if you won't serve me as your clansmen now do. You still have your own purposes. Now, go!"  
  
A flash later, the Black Moon warriors vanish. Tsuruga then emerges from the shadows. "Mistress, are you sure you need them? They couldn't stand up to the Sailor Senshi when they were but six. How do you expect them to stand up to twenty of them?!"  
  
"They will be a distraction, Daisuke-kun," Kughra sighs. "They will be so eager to serve, they'll do anything to keep the Sailor Senshi and the Twins busy. And doing so will allow me to observe their tactics and conceive of the right countermeasures. Oh, they'll be done away with; of that, I've no doubt. But the energy needed to bring them here from their fates was minuscule and easily replaced. After all, how can one choose other powers when one can drawn on the power of all of Existence itself?!"  
  
Insane laughter echoes through the hall...  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, this was easy enough to recreate," Esmerald hums as she gazes around the familiar dark trappings of the Black Moon palace that once loomed over Juuban. It was now cloaked in a low geo-synchronous orbit over Tokyo. "There was enough energy laying around here, it surprises me that someone else didn't think about using it for their own purposes."  
  
"You mean Kughra?" Rubius muses.  
  
"You've never heard of her, I take it," Esmerald muses. "Much that I would kill Wiseman for what he did to me, the old fossil had his uses. Every time he talked to Prince Demand or myself of Kughra...the Dark Princess of Newgrange as he knew her...it was always with great respect. She doesn't need our power. The power she welds already is great enough for her purposes."  
  
"So why save our lives?"  
  
Esmerald shrugs. "Search me. Personally, I wouldn't mind a rematch or three with those little bitches. They caused us both enough trouble to last us five lifetimes."  
  
"Yeah, that's true," Rubius smiles. "Besides, in the future, we never got the chance to sink our claws into the likes of Sailor Saturn, Sailor Terra or the Senshi Twins. I always believed their reps were a lot of hot air."  
  
"I don't know," she hums. "Saturn and Terra weren't alive when we attacked Crystal Tokyo...and because of that spat between Serenity and her sister, the Twins wouldn't lift a finger to help. I always wondered why Prince Demand insisted we wait until Crystal Tokyo's defenses were down enough to make our attack work."  
  
"Perhaps you're right," Rubius nods, then looks at Saphil. "What about you? Where do you intend to go?"  
  
"If you want to do this, be my guest," Saphil sighs. "I have my own life to live."  
  
"What about Kughra?"  
  
"Strange as this may sound, she strikes me as someone of her word," Saphil muses. "Besides, she's using both of you for her own purposes, perhaps even me. I don't care. I've someone living here I haven't seen in a while and I intend not to be separated from her anymore. Don't follow me!"  
  
In a flash of energy, he vanishes. "Ungrateful idiot!" Rubius snorts. "Does he want to die?!"  
  
"Forget him," Esmerald muses. "We've work to do."  
  
* * *  
  
"It's a pleasure to have you all come to Hikawa Jinja," Rei's grandfather smiles as the Dokai family and Ayako Maida approach. "So what brings you up from Tokushima?"  
  
Matsuri's parents were Shinto clerics, her father the chief priest of Shikoku, her mother a shrine priestess in their hometown. Matsuri herself had been training as a priestess when she had come into contact with a doctor who had contracted Ebola while working with the World Health Organization in Zaire. Because of her religious training, Matsuri had bonded together with the sage of the Cold Flat Mound school when she Crossed Over. "We came up here to ask you a favour concerning our daughter," her father smiles.  
  
Rei's grandfather gazes at Matsuri, then looks at his own grandchild. "Well, I'll be. Except for the hair, you two could be twin sisters! Isn't this a coincidence?!"  
  
Rei and Matsuri nearly fall over in a spasm of coughing. "Y-yeah, it's a coincidence alright!" the former laughs, then smiles. "Nice to see you again, Matsuri-san!" she bows.  
  
"Nice to see you too, Rei-san," Matsuri returns the greeting.  
  
"You know each other?!" Rei's grandfather blinks surprisedly.  
  
"Matsuri-chan was down with a terrible flu over the last while," Mrs. Dokai moves in to save the fire twins from their near-gaffe. "She was convalescing with some friends here when she met your granddaughter...and they hit it off right away!"  
  
"Wonderful!! Why don't you come in for a while?!" the elder priest smiles as he escorts them inside.  
  
"Nice slip of the tongue, Rei-chan," Ayako mutters.  
  
"Sorry!" Rei hisses.  
  
"I'll stay out here while you get things arranged," Ayako kisses her life-mate on the cheek, then her eyes glow. "Hey, there's Minako-chan and Junko-chan! Who're their friends?"  
  
"Oh, gods, I forgot that Pattsu's here visiting Saphil's memorial!" Rei gasps as Minako, Junko and the other Black Moon sisters come up the stairs. "Hi, everyone!!"  
  
"Hi, Rei!" Kooan blinks on seeing Matsuri and Ayako. "Boy, this is really getting confusing, seeing you all together!"  
  
"Pattsu's by the memorial," Rei points. "Matsuri-chan and I have to be with our families right now. We'll talk later."  
  
"Okay!" everyone nods as Rei and Matsuri head inside.  
  
The others walk around the shrine to a private grove. There, Pattsu kneels before a simple stone marker, the kana for SAPHIL written on it over a laminated picture of her beloved. Incense and a bouquet of roses lay at her feet. Silently, the other sisters and Minako kneel beside Pattsu, Junko and Ayako hanging back.  
  
"I'm glad you're here," Pattsu smiles.  
  
"We should've come with you today," Beruche places a hand on her sister's shoulder. "He was our friend, too."  
  
"I know," Pattsu sighs. "I just wish...I just wish I could have had the chance to say good-bye to him."  
  
Silence falls as the Black Moon sisters engage in a group hug. "They weep over an empty grave," Junko quietly muses. "What use is there trying to touch those in the Cosmic Chain of Life when they are not there to be touched?"  
  
"Leave them be, Junko-chan," Ayako sighs, then blinks, her eyes glowing. "But it seems the dead can come back to life!!"  
  
"Eh?!" Junko's eyes then glow, looking into the skies. "Blessed Mother Ocean, what...?!"  
  
Everyone looks up to see a dark shape appear over Juuban, looking like it would swallow all of Tokyo whole. In the middle of this morass is a geometric shape that seems an ebony perversion of Nicole McTavish's crystal palace. "The Black Moon...?!" Minako gapes. "Impossible!!! They're all dead!!"  
  
"That doesn't look dead to me!!" Kooan hisses.  
  
Communicators urgently begin beeping...  
  
* * *  
  
"We're down to less than half-strength!!" Sailor Terra hisses as the Senshi still in Tokyo muster together by Juuban High School. "This is not good!! Not good at all!!"  
  
Sailor Moon looks at the eight other Senshi with her. Terra, Diana, Chronos, Zeus, Mars, Ares, Aphrodite and Venus. Pluto and Hades were on their way. Mercury, Hermes and Poseidon were down in Okinawa. Sunaru and Jupiter were with the former's family. Gaia was with her relatives in Nagano while Uranus, Neptune and Saturn were up in Oshika visiting the Nendo-kata. "Who are we up against, Sailor Moon?! Any ideas?!" Mars wonders.  
  
"No, not yet...LOOK OUT!!!!!!"  
  
Everyone scatters as bolts of black energy lance down from the Black Moon citadel, morphing into several familiar monsters. "It's so good to be back!!!" Atsugessho cackles, make-up applicators at the ready. "Time for a make-over!!"  
  
"No thanks, just got one!!!" Aphrodite pops a handful of black hearts. "***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***" she fires.  
  
The bolts race at the monsters like homing missiles as the other Senshi scatter into better fighting positions. The Black Moon soldiers evade save for the ice warrior Nipos, who gets nailed by two! Screaming, she drops dazedly to the ground, unable to summon the energy to resist as Aphrodite approaches her. "Can't fight..." she gasps. "How can...this be...?"  
  
"Why fight?!" Aphrodite coos, turning the ice warrior's head so Nipos could gaze into her eyes. "When you can make love?"  
  
A pink heart slams into Nipos next, filling her with the most alien emotion the ice warrior has ever encountered. "Such warmth!" she gasps, collapsing into Aphrodite's arms. "Oh, this warmth is so delicious!! How could I have never experienced it?!"  
  
The other Senshi exchange confused looks. "What is that shameless flirt doing?!!" Ares snarls, jealous flames in her eyes. "Don't I make love to her enough to satisfy her?!!"  
  
The others faint! "Actually, this could be a chance to distract the others while Aphrodite plays matchmaker!!" Chronos draws the Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION!!!!!!***"  
  
A null-time bubble catches the others before they could evade. "Got them! Now what?!" Moon wonders.  
  
"Let Ayako-chan do her magic!" Diana smiles.  
  
Aphrodite then guides Nipos into gazing at the seven other Black Moon monsters. "Now, we have seven nice ladies here all for your picking! Which one is it?! C'mon, c'mon, make a choice!"  
  
Nipos gazes at them, then points. "Her!!!"  
  
She points at the single-horned Akumuudee. "Nice choice, Nipos-chan!!" Aphrodite grins. "Let that one go, Chronos!!"  
  
"Hai!!" Chronos twists the Time Reaper.  
  
Akumuudee drops to the ground, then snarls. "DIE!!!!!!"  
  
"NOT!!!!!!" Aphrodite giggles, then winds up. "***MIXED PASSION ATTACK!!!!!!***" she fires another storm.  
  
The unicorn-like monster is zapped by a storm of hearts that causes her to drop to her knees. Aphrodite steps aside as Nipos races at the dazed Akumuudee, swamping her with an overwhelming glomp as the two stumble away. "That'll keep them busy for the next bit!!" the passion mistress laughs, then gazes at the other monsters still trapped by Chronos. "Okay, who's next?!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"***WHAT IS THAT WOMAN DOING?!?!?!***"  
  
Esmerald and Rubius watch the bizarre proceedings at Juuban High School from their sanctum sanctorum aboard the citadel. Right now, Aphrodite was "introducing" Atsugessho and Uderingu, the first monster to appear after Esmerald took over trying to capture Chibi-usa from her clansman. "I'd say playing matchmaker!" Rubius blinks, unused to seeing THIS sort of behaviour from a Sailor Senshi. "So that's Sailor Aphrodite! Her reputation's not only deserved, it's understated!!"  
  
"OooooooooooooOOOHHHH!!!!" Esmerald shakes her head, her eyes ablaze. "How DARE that love-sick trollop do that to MY warriors?!! I'll go down there myself and give that bitch a piece of my mind!!"  
  
She vanishes from the citadel. "This really isn't what I had in mind when we started this!" Rubius mutters before following...  
  
* * *  
  
By now, the "introductions" are made and the monsters are now getting "acquainted" with each other. "Awww, isn't that cute?!!" Aphrodite sighs drunkenly as her senses lap up the passion around her, ignoring the BIG sweat drops on everyone else's heads.  
  
"I never thought fighting in the Sailor Senshi would entail this!!" Terra hangs her head. "What is that girl thinking?!!"  
  
"Hmpth!!" Ares looks even more jealous, crossing her arms as she looks away. "Chasing after other people while she's got me willing to do anything for her!! Some relationship!!!"  
  
"Having you girls around is definitely going to make things loads of fun in the future!!" Venus sighs, then blinks as she sees a point of dark light appearing above her sister. "Uh-oh!!!"  
  
A bolt slams into the ground centimetres from the passion mistress, knocking Aphrodite on her face!! Esmerald appears, then glares at her soldiers whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears instead of trashing Senshi. "***YOU IDIOTS!!!!! GET BACK ON THE JOB AND KILL THESE FOOLS!!!!!!***"  
  
The sticky warrior Jaamanen looks up from some mouth-to-mouth with Abogaatra. "We're busy! Go away!!"  
  
"Jaa-chan!" the shopping demon draws her back down.  
  
"'GO AWAY?!?!?!'" Esmerald explodes with anger. "YOU tell ME to GO AWAY?!?!?! Do you remember who CREATED you?!!"  
  
"Obviously someone who hasn't had a little love herself for the past bit!!!" a voice muses. "***AEGIS ENTRAPMENT!!!!!!***"  
  
Esmerald screams helplessly as Zeus' suspension bubble snares her, elevating her as Aphrodite dusts herself off. "Of course, you know this means war!" she snarls, spinning around. "Okay, honey, you want to play party crasher with me, I'll oblige you!!" the passion mistress growls, then notices someone else floating in mid-air over the school. "Why, who's tall, red-haired and handsome over yonder?!" she hums, drawing the Truth Chain from her waist.  
  
"RUBIUS?!?!?!" Moon cries on recognizing Esmerald's clansman. "Boy, this is old home week, isn't it?!!"  
  
"C'mon down here, son!!" Aphrodite fires her chain.  
  
Rubius dodges the chain of hearts only to fall into Ares' sights. "***FIRE PHOENIX!!!!!!***" the fire mistress launches a bird of flame at the Black Moon warrior.  
  
"YEOWCH!!!!!!" he screams, dodging down...  
  
...right into the grasp of the Truth Chain! "I gotta bite!!" Aphrodite reels him in. "C'mere, handsome!!!"  
  
Rubius crash-lands beside the floating Esmerald, his body quaking from Aphrodite's power. "So, who brought you two back?!" Venus wonders as the veterans of the Black Moon war walk up.  
  
"Someone who wants to see you die!" Rubius hisses.  
  
Everyone exchanges looks. "Kughra!" the Senshi sigh.  
  
"So what do we do with these two trouble-makers?!" Terra hums, drawing the soulsword from her body. "Let their minds drift in little pieces across the cosmos for the rest of Eternity?!"  
  
"How about letting Chronos there use her Time Acceleration and really make Esmerald look old?!" Mars snickers.  
  
"NO!!!!" Esmerald screams. "Anything but THAT!!!!"  
  
"Still vain after all these years," Venus laughs.  
  
"There's an easier way!"  
  
Everyone turns to see Kooan, Beruche and Karabekasu walk up. "What way, Kooan-chan?" Aphrodite muses.  
  
"Well, you don't know something about Rubius," Beruche smiles.  
  
Rubius pales. "No, Beruche!!! Don't tell her THAT!!!!"  
  
"Tell me what?!!" Aphrodite glares at him.  
  
He shudders, the power of the Truth Chain overwhelming all his defenses. "That...I...love...Esmerald-...chan...!"  
  
Everyone blinks. "Is that a fact?!" Aphrodite savagely grins as she draws fingers to lips and arms up.  
  
"Wh-wh-what are y-y-you going t-t-to do?!" Esmerald stammers.  
  
Aphrodite fires. "***MIXED PASSION ATTACK!!!!!!***"  
  
Zeus drops her shield as Esmerald screams on the impact of the storm of energy hearts drain her dark thoughts from her soul and re-fill them with thoughts of love. Another blast nails Rubius as the passion mistress draws off the Truth Chain. As soon as the smoke clears, Rubius and Esmerald gaze at each other, both unable to fight off the lustful storm in their hearts. "Rubius-kun..."  
  
"Esmerald-chan..."  
  
Guess what happens.  
  
"Aww, isn't that sweet?!" Terra beams as the newly bonded couple begin to devour the other's lips.  
  
"Um, I hate to put a damper on this, but what about them?!" Zeus points to the monsters Esmerald and Rubius created to attack the Senshi, still busy taking delight in each other's company. "I mean, if Sailor Moon uses the Imperial Silver Crystal on them when she heals Rubius and Esmerald, they'll die!"  
  
"Not necessarily!" Aphrodite muses, then holds out her hand to Moon. "Can I see the Crystal, Usagi-chan?"  
  
"Um, sure," Moon passes the staff over.  
  
As the passion mistress examines the device, a burst of energy warps in Sailor Pluto and Sailor Hades. "We're just in time!" the time guardian smiles. "I see everyone else is holding up well."  
  
"Ayako-chan handled most of it," Moon beams.  
  
"Um...excuse me," Esmerald lustily pants, allowing Rubius to kiss her neck as she looks at the Black Moon sisters. "Before I let my lovely Rubi-chan seduce me, is Pattsu about?"  
  
"Why?!" Beruche wonders.  
  
"Everyone, look!" Karabekasu points.  
  
Eyes turn to see Pattsu now in Saphil's arms under a cherry blossom tree, both kissing madly as tears of relief sparkle on their cheeks. "Another couple reunited!" Moon swoons, then laughs. "Well, we all say we fight for love and happiness!! I'd say this is one day we really proved it!"  
  
"Okay, I got it!!" Aphrodite announces.  
  
"Got what?" Chronos wonders.  
  
"How to make sure everyone can have happy lives," the passion mistress lifts the Crystal into the air.  
  
It then glows as a blaze of energy forms around Aphrodite, the passion mistress spinning around like a top as the power builds to saturation point. "Ayako, no!!!" Ares cries out, realizing what her life-mate had in mind. "Not the...!!"  
  
"***HEART...PASSION...NOVA!!!!!!***"  
  
A burst of pure love races from her to encompass all of Juuban!! The energy destroys the reconstructed Black Moon citadel; cleanses Rubius, Esmerald and Saphil of the dark energy that they had served for so long; transforms the Black Moon monsters into human doubles of their fighting forms...not to mention putting all sorts of VERY intimate thoughts into every adult in the district!  
  
As the flash fades, Aphrodite exhales. "Ah, that feels MUCH better! Here you go, Usagi-chan...!" she hands the Imperium Silver Crystal over to Sailor Moon...who isn't there! "Usagi?!"  
  
"Muffin!!!" the retreating scream of the Senshi leader is heard as she makes a bee-line for Mamoru's apartment. "Muffin!!! Your odango's coming home for some fun!!!"  
  
Aphrodite blinks, then notices everyone else heading off. "Maybe we should get more better acquainted, ne, Junko-chan?!" Venus purrs as she drags Zeus to her apartment.  
  
"I'll agree to that!!" Zeus growls playfully.  
  
In a second, all who remain on the grounds of Juuban High School is Aphrodite, Ares and the ex-Black Moon monsters. "Geez, I never thought I was THIS effective!!" the passion mistress laughs as she transforms back into Ayako, stowing the Imperium Silver Crystal into warpspace for the time she could give it back to a more cognizant Usagi. "Damn, I such a stinker!"  
  
"Yeah, you're a stinker, alright!!" Ares transforms back to Matsuri, then leans up against her. "But you're MY stinker!!"  
  
"Aw, Matsu-chan!" Ayako sighs.  
  
"Um, excuse us," a quiet cough is heard.  
  
The two turn to see the ex-Black Moon monsters smiling at them. "Pardon us for interrupting, Ayako-sama, but would you and Matsuri-sama be willing to...um, teach us a few things about expressing our love for each other?" Nipos, now resembling a normal woman in a kimono, hugs Akumuudee's arm, the latter now with normal skin, without a horn and dressed in stylish civilians.  
  
Ayako and Matsuri exchange looks. "Can we handle them all?!" the former hums.  
  
"The bed'll break!" the latter warns.  
  
"Who says we have to do it in a bed? After all, Kyooko-oba-chan and Beryl've Crossed Over. The pool's just as good."  
  
"Why, Ayako-chan, that's so romantic!"  
  
"Hai, hai," Ayako laughs...  
  
* * *  
  
In orbit, Kughra is also laughing. "I can't for the life of me see what's so funny!" Tsuruga sighs.  
  
"Relax, Professor!" the dark princess snickers. "I learn more from a defeat than in any ten victories!! Now, I know how to keep Sailor Aphrodite busy; just let her try to warp people's hearts to her will and she'll be too distracted to help the others! Of the Twins, she is by far the deadliest since her attacks always focus on one's heart!! A little more observation, then I'll know all their strengths and weaknesses...and then, the fun begins!!"  
  
She sits back on her throne, purring in anticipation...  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't understand what happened to me!" Mr. Tsukino sighs as he and his wife relax in their living room some hours later. "All I felt was this mad desire to have you in every way possible!!"  
  
"I didn't mind!" Usagi's mother coos as she leans into her husband's side. "It was just like our wedding night!!"  
  
Nearby, Artemis and Luna rest. "That was too much!" the former muses quietly, gently nibbling on the latter's ear. "We've got to talk to Ayako about using her powers like that!!"  
  
"Oh, if we try to stop her, we'll just make her worse!" Luna purrs contently, then blinks as the doorbell is heard. "Now, who could that be?" she wonders.  
  
Mrs. Tsukino walks to the door, opening it to see two women standing there. "Hello!" the first smiles, bowing gracefully. "Are you Usagi's mother?"  
  
"Yes, I am," she nods. "Has she done something wrong?"  
  
"Oh, no, no, no!" Kyooko laughs. "I'm Nona's mother."  
  
"You're...!!" Mrs. Tsukino gasps, then beams. "Oh, my! But Nona-chan said that you had been captured..."  
  
"We were freed in the same way as my daughter and the others were," Kyooko explains, then waves to her companion. "Oh, this is Midori Ryokuchuuseki. She was another victim of that creature."  
  
"A pleasure. Please, come in!"  
  
*'Midori Ryokuchuuseki?!'* Luna's eyes widen on seeing the woman beside Kyooko Tsuruga. Though her ears were round, her eyes no longer bloodshot red and she didn't have the bony protrusions sticking out from her shoulders, her other features sang "Beryl" to the feline herald of the Silver Millennium. Then, much to Luna's total surprise, she feels a sense of serene calm from the deposed queen of the Dark Kingdom, as if she had come to accept that her place in this universe had changed. If so, how would she react when Usagi walked through the front door?  
  
Tea is quickly served, then conversation begins. Luna and Artemis gaze at Midori/Beryl, wondering what to do. Every once in a while, the woman's eyes would fall on them for a brief moment. Each time, both cats feel the gentle touch of peace and happiness. Could even Beryl, who was once seen by Luna and Artemis as the very personification of evil, be turned by the Nendo-kata so totally? Were miracles actually possible? What were they to do?  
  
The door then opens, revealing a very happy Usagi, Nona and Chooko behind her. "Mom, Dad, we're home...oh, we have guests?!" the former calls out on noticing the extra people.  
  
"MOM?!?!?!" Nona gasps.  
  
"Nona-chan!!!" Kyooko rises as her daughter flies into her arms. "Oh, sweetie, there you are!!"  
  
They fiercely embrace each other, happy tears streaming down their cheeks. "Mom, I sensed something happen...but how?!!" Nona stares at Kyooko. "Surely the others in the school couldn't've..."  
  
"With help, they did," Kyooko assures her. "One of Nokoko's school, the school bard, has only very recently mated. She created a space-warp by which our android selves were quickly drawn to the pool in your apartment, thus allowing Midori-chan and I to Cross Over, then the bodies were replaced without Kughra being the wiser. We've been up and around for several hours, in fact."  
  
"Oh, thank you!" Nona smiles, then kisses her mother's cheek. "It's so good to be with you again, Mom!!"  
  
"And with you, sweetie," Kyooko smiles.  
  
Usagi blinks, then stares in shock at Midori, her brain clicking in to tell her who this really is. Not wanting to shout out and scare her parents, she walks over, hand out. "Well, we're glad you're safe. We were all afraid that we'd have to storm a fortress to get you down from there."  
  
"It's the thought that counts," Midori shakes her hand. We have to talk, Sailor Moon.  
  
Upstairs, later, Usagi replies.  
  
"So!" Kyooko turns to Chooko, returning to their seat. "I see my daughter has found herself quite the catch. Why don't you introduce yourself, young lady."  
  
"I'm Chooko Nori, ma'am," she bows. "Pleased to meet you..."  
  
* * *  
  
"You are quiet."  
  
Usagi blinks, staring at the reborn woman now sitting on her bed. Nona and Chooko were asleep in the guest room, allowing the day's fatigue to catch up to them. Downstairs, Kyooko and the Tsukinos were preparing a beautiful dinner in celebration of the former's reunion with her daughter. Thus, two former enemies could finally have a chance to put their animosities to rest. "What do you expect me to do?" she gazes at her guest. "Besides, what do I call you now? Midori or Beryl?"  
  
"I suppose 'Midori' would do better. Like you, I am reborn from someone who died sometime ago...at your hand, admittedly. I possess Beryl's memories, but I possess the memories of another; they are merging together as we speak. Becoming a Nendo-kata can be disorientating as Clarisse warned us."  
  
"Alright, Midori it is," Usagi sighs. "To that end, we should strive to try not to spark a new fight between us. As far as I'm concerned, the Dark Kingdom War is done and over with."  
  
"You really desire that, do you?" Midori muses.  
  
"Hai, I do," Usagi sits at her desk. "When Jeddite returned and tried to start the whole darned thing anew, I learned that the last parts of Beryl's former Seifukusu Imperial House were dying because of their prolonged exposure to Metallia's realm. They were all driven in there as a way of killing off that House with minimal cost and thus sparing the Dominion a protracted civil war."  
  
"That is correct," Midori nods. "After the Silver Millennium was destroyed, two dozen Houses banded together to force my...force Beryl's House out of this plane of existence into Metallia's realm. It was quite a fight, lasting over several decades as Terrans tell time...but it was a fight that was eventually won."  
  
"Death by slow genocide," Usagi frowns. "What was worse, by our choking off the necessary life-force energy for the denizens of the Dark Kingdom to survive, we contributed to the deaths of many thousands, especially in that final fight in the Arctic. Only very recently did I come to see what I nearly did to them. Thanks the gods we stopped it before it was really too late."  
  
"You were led by incomplete information," Midori reminds her.  
  
"And a thousand year old dream that even now I sometimes wish I never became a part of," Usagi muses. "After Beryl, there were a whole slew of monsters who came to take us on. We've been pretty busy doing things far and beyond cleaning up the mess left behind a millennia ago. I said it to Luna and Mamo-chan shortly after meeting Nona-chan. I'm not Princess Serenity anymore, just as much as you're not Queen Beryl now. We're two different people from two different time periods...and I want it to remain that way. In the future, I might become the queen of something called Crystal Tokyo, calling myself Neo-Queen Serenity...but that's the future. Right now, I am Usagi Tsukino as well as Sailor Moon. And I like it."  
  
"As I like being what I am now," Midori smiles. "Were I just only of Beryl's mind, I'd be revolted by being this, being stripped of everything that meant something to me. Humiliated by Kughra like I was, rendered totally powerless, without a single denizen to fight for me. But when I was born of the Crossing Over, I realized I couldn't be Beryl anymore. Beryl is for all intents and purposes in the Cosmic Chain of Life...and there she will remain."  
  
"So what happens now?"  
  
"Nothing much, other than discovering something with Kyooko-chan and forging an understanding with Nona-chan," Midori sighs. "Very soon, you will have to deal with Kughra and Daisuke Tsuruga. They're just sitting up there waiting for the chance to come down and destroy you. That whole business with Rubius and Esmerald was designed to keep you busy, show how you operate so Kughra could discover weaknesses and destroy you. She wants the Imperium Silver Crystal, Usagi-chan...for what, I don't know. All Kughra said to me was that she understands the power you weld and because she does understand that, she stands a better chance of defeating you than Beryl or everyone who came after her did. Something tells me she may be right. There is a...calm within her. She is patient beyond belief as well as long-lived. She could wait for years until she knows everything about you, then she'll strike."  
  
Usagi tenses, then looks down. "We have to strike now."  
  
"Exactly," Midori sighs. "Strike swift, strike hard...and go for the throat. No mercy."  
  
"How many are up there?"  
  
Midori blinks. "What do you mean?"  
  
"How many daemons are up there? If Kughra's base was formed from Beryl's planetoid, then there might be survivors of the Dark Kingdom up there, people missed when we fought Jeddite."  
  
"Some...at most a hundred," Midori sighs. "The rest were all purpose-created by Kughra, so they wouldn't count."  
  
Usagi looks down. "Damn..."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I was just thinking," the leader of the Senshi looks up at the heavens, tears brimming in her eyes. "How much more of my life must be written in the blood of others?"  
  
"Do you think we enjoy killing, even those who are committed to the destruction of Unity?" Midori wonders.  
  
Usagi blinks surprisedly. "I am a Nendo-kata, born to serve and protect the Unity, the bond between all living things in the Universal School," Midori intones, as if swearing an oath. "I will kill in Unity's name when there's no other option or when innocents will suffer. But even I cannot stand being party to a massacre."  
  
They stare at each other, then Usagi smiles. "I'm glad I'm not alone anymore," she nods, then rises. "Alright. We go as soon as we can get everyone together..."  
  
The door to her bedroom opens, revealing Luna. "Usagi."  
  
"What is it, Luna?" Usagi wonders.  
  
"We just received a call from Haruka in Oshika," Luna smiles. "Nokoko's school, Nicole and Mujanba have just given birth to their daughters. We're invited to come up and celebrate."  
  
Usagi blinks, then beams. "Great!!"  
  
* * *  
  
To be concluded... 


	5. Part 5 - Battle for the Crystal of Etern...

"And this is Katsura-chan!"  
  
"Oh, kawaii!!" Usagi gushes as she takes the cherubic baby from Nokoko's arms, reaching up to tickle the Terran-Oni hybrid around her horns, causing Katsura Moroboshi to chortle as she tries to chase the finger away. "She's so beautiful!"  
  
"And a handful already!" Mal smiles as she hands her life-mate a cup of tea. "I've never seen a hungrier child in all my life!"  
  
"I'll bet she is!" Usagi beams, exchanging smiles with Mamoru as they continue to play with their new goddaughter.  
  
Around them, the Sailor Senshi and the Twins pair up with the members of Nokoko's school, chatting excitedly as they share in the delight of new life. Each couple in Nokoko's school chose another couple in their sister school to be the immediate godparents to their daughters, then also selected whatever Sailor Senshi best fitted their needs and personal tastes. Since Osooko, Asuka, Clarisse and Pamanba would have to wait for a bit for their daughters' birth, Yuki, Sakebu, Tsuyako and Nareta would have to wait for their turn to be godparents. They passed their time playing with Nicole's and Mujanba's twins Crystal and Shounba.  
  
Nearby, Michiru sadly gazes at the little girls who brought such joy to their new friends. It was times like this that she missed caring for Hotaru, who had finally grown back to her pre-Saturn physical age shortly after the battle with Galaxia. In the violinist's eyes, the Nendo-kata were so lucky to have their particular reproductive abilities. If she and Haruka had that, their lives would be so much better.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
Michiru gazes at Nokoko, who relaxes beside her. "I'm fine," the former nods reluctantly, her facial features belying her words.  
  
"Translation: you feel miserable because you don't have a child to worry about, can't conceive a baby with the woman you love outside a laboratory, but you don't want to talk about it to a near-stranger," Nokoko grins. "It's okay, Michiru. I know what you're going through right now. Do you think I wanted Mal-chan to do all that work alone?"  
  
"Eh?!" Michiru blinks, then remembers that while the other couples in Oshika had two daughters, Nokoko and Mal had just one. "What happened, Nokoko?"  
  
"Since I Crossed Over when I was so young, my reproductive system wasn't developed, thus the matriarch didn't have a proper template to build on when my new body was constructed," Nokoko supplies. "Like everyone else here, I can only have children with other girls, but the special telekinetic skills needed to do a proper conception couldn't be mastered by someone who was only six at the time. Believe me, I tried when Mal-chan and I came together to conceive Katsura-chan, but it was no dice."  
  
"I'm so sorry," Michiru gently squeezes Nokoko's hand. "Will you try again sometime soon?"  
  
"Yeah, when we don't have to worry too much about caring for Katsura-chan," Nokoko smiles. "Like you, we have long lifespans ahead of us. But I do want to feel a child growing inside me just as badly as you and Haruka do, Michiru."  
  
"Haruka's never expressed that," Michiru muses.  
  
"Don't be too sure about that," Nokoko warns. "Yeah, she acts like a tomboy now, but she knows deep in her heart what makes a woman different from a man. She'll get the urge sooner or later. I guarantee it!" she winks.  
  
"I'll have to talk to her about it, then," Michiru smiles.  
  
A cough stops their dialogue. "Can I have your attention, please?" Usagi taps her tea cup with a spoon.  
  
Everyone quiets down,and faces the Senshi leader. "Just before we came up here to join our friends, Midori-san informed me that the reason Kughra brought back Rubius and the others was to test us, see us in combat to gauge our strengths and weaknesses, then plot a course of action when all our abilities are known," Usagi sighs. "I don't want that to happen. She wants the Imperium Silver Crystal and she's willing to wait as long as it would take to get it without cost to herself. We can't wait anymore. We have to attack and get rid of her now."  
  
Everyone exchanges looks, then Nona rises. "Time for a hunt!" the moon huntress grins savagely. "Let's party!!"  
  
"Thanks, sis," Usagi smiles, then looks to the other Senshi and Mamoru. "If any of you want to wait further, say it now. We can wait...but I want us all to go together."  
  
"Where our Princess goes, we go!" Makoto vows.  
  
"Where our matriarch confronts disUnity, we fight with her!" Junko echoes from across the way.  
  
"And where our sisters fight, we fight, too!!" Tatsuko adds.  
  
Nokoko's schoolmates tense, many looking at the bundles of joy now in their arms. Yes, they had an unending responsibility to the Unity, but they were all mothers, or would be as in the cases of Osooko and Clarisse. Did it have to be now? How long would the battle take? Would they all survive it? Yes, their children would be safe within the crystal palace, but did they have the right to leave their children, even for just a bit?  
  
Others pick up their wariness. "Tatsuko-san, wait!" Usagi pales. "All of you just gave birth except for Osooko-san and Clarisse-san, who're still pregnant! You can't go into battle right now!! What about your babies?!"  
  
"Usagi, love, there's no place safer in this universe from the likes of Kughra than here!" Nicole smiles. "You could launch an attack from here and be totally protected! The kids can stay here; no power that witch has can breech this place. You might say this place was purpose-built to deal with the likes of her!"  
  
Usagi blinks confusedly. "What...?"  
  
"It's a very long story," Nicole smiles. "Let's turn in and rest up tonight, then tomorrow, we make Kughra face HER Culloden!!"  
  
Agreeing shouts echo from the others. Seeing what was now ready to help her, Usagi stares at Mamoru. "Mamo-chan...?"  
  
"'Once more unto the breech, dear friends,'" he smiles.  
  
"Alright!!" Usagi nods. "Let's breech!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Sailor Twins"  
a tale of the Sailor Senshi  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir  
kush1@iaw.on.ca  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART FIVE - BATTLE FOR THE CRYSTAL OF ETERNITY  
  
Oshika. Late at night.  
  
Usagi sighs contentedly as she stands on one of the ramparts of the crystal palace, allowing her body and spirit to feel the nearly immortal life-force that powers Nicole's home. This had been the first time any of the Senshi had ever been inside the crystal palace. During their first visit, they had spent all their time at Ataru Moroboshi's beach home nearby. It felt strange, yet so wondrously familiar, to the Senshi leader...as if she had returned to Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century. But why...?  
  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
  
Nona approaches, a light smile on her sister's face. "Not really," she gazes once more at the pale orb in the sky which had been home to her previous self, then looks back at her. "You change your hair?"  
  
Nona nods, feeling the loose ponytail. "Yeah, it became quite a pain braiding my hair when I Crossed Over; didn't bother me so much before. Besides, braided hair was a style Dad liked."  
  
Usagi nods. "It looks better on you."  
  
"Thanks," Nona blushes, then stares at her. "Nervous?"  
  
"A bit," Usagi admits. "And...confused."  
  
"Ah!" Nona nods. "Yes, I sense the bond of Unity between you, the other Senshi and this living palace. Even Setsuna feels it and she possesses far more knowledge than even Luna and Artemis."  
  
"Yeah, but how's that possible?" Usagi muses.  
  
"Perhaps I can explain it, love."  
  
The lunar twins turn to see Nicole standing there...  
  
* * *  
  
"Are there any signs of them?!!"  
  
"None, Mistress!" the daemon shakes his head. "It is as if they have disappeared from the face of the planet!!"  
  
Kughra tenses, then leans back on her throne. "Where could they have gone? The Nendo-kata homeworld...?"  
  
"We didn't sense any movement via teleportation or time-travel, Mistress," the daemon reports.  
  
The dark princess steeples her fingers under her chin, her eyes narrow. Where were they...?  
  
* * *  
  
"THREE BILLION YEARS OLD?!?!?!"  
  
Usagi and Nona gape in disbelief at Nicole, the three now standing in the palace's control centre. "Aye," the Scotswoman smiles. "It took me by surprise when she told me."  
  
"'She?'" Nona blinks, then nods. "Oh, the palace!"  
  
"It's alive?!" Usagi gasps.  
  
"Aye, lass," Nicole nods. "You see, back then, there were these two races of immortal beings who'd been born shortly after the Big Bang. One race called themselves Praetorians, the others called themselves the Seekers. Well, both races knew right away about the power that created and sustains this universe. The Divinity, Cosmic Chain of Life, Eternity, Heaven. Personally, I think the Sagussans have the best name. *Te'a.* 'That Which Is Above mortal understanding.' That's the Power from which you lassies draw your abilities through the crystal you now have, Usagi...or in all the Twins' case, through the *haijo-ju* fragments Kughra obtained over the years she had wandered across Sagussa that now form the power cells in their henshin sticks."  
  
"Then if you knew about this, why didn't you stop Kughra before this began?!" Nona demands.  
  
"Because I am restricted by the programming the Seekers gave this place," Nicole stares at her. "I'm bound to this palace as completely as Setsuna is bound to the laws of Time or Yuki is bound to the laws of the *te'a.* You see, the Seekers knew that gifted individuals would come to understand what the *te'a* is like, try to master It and use It for their own purposes. To ensure that things didn't get totally out of control, they offered the future races of the galaxy two solutions. One, they scattered tiny jewels that could tap into the *te'a* across the galaxy. When worthy people found these Power Jewels, they would then become special warriors to defend their planets, especially against those who could manipulate the *te'a* for their own purposes. The second solution is what you're standing on now."  
  
"The palace?" Usagi nods.  
  
"Aye, lass. When she was created, she was designed to be an independent monitor station that would watch how the races of this universe dealt with the *te'a.* Her role...my role...is passive. We would be activated only when or active if a problem arose and there was no Power Jewel welder in the area to intervene directly."  
  
"The last Power Jewel welder lived on this world forty years ago, disappearing at the end of World War Two," Nona muses.  
  
"That's right, Nona. BUT there is now on Earth a weapon that is tied into the *te'a* itself: the Imperium Silver Crystal."  
  
Usagi blinks, then makes the Crystal appear in her hand. The jewel burns bright as it sends tendrils of energy to touch the crystal surrounding them. "The Crystal was made here," her eyes widen in realization. "Nicole, did Queen Serenity visit here once during the Silver Millennium?"  
  
I did.  
  
Everyone jolts as a ghostly hologram appears before Usagi. "Queen Serenity..." she gasps.  
  
You do not call me 'Mother,' Serenity muses.  
  
"You were Princess Serenity's mother, not mine," Usagi sighs, hoping to assuage any hurt feelings.  
  
Serenity smiles contently. That is good, she nods. I knew when I cast the spirits of my daughter and the Sailor Senshi from the Silver Millennium, they would be reborn as different people, separated from each other until Fate drew you together to defeat Beryl. That is what I wanted.  
  
"Thank you," Usagi smiles, then holds up the Crystal. "Why did you create this?"  
  
The last queen of the Silver Millennium sighs. I was born, like Yuki Tetsujo a century and more ago, with the power to tap into the *te'a,* feel Its power, even use It for my own purposes. It frightened me. Even one with good intentions could overstep her bounds when dealing with this level of power, Usagi-chan. So, after finding notes about the Sagussan *haijo-ju* projects buried on Neptune, I cast my mind out to locate someone, anyone, to help me with this power, teach me how to control it. And with that, I found this palace.  
  
"And it taught her how to focus her power into a transmitter that would allow her to keep control over herself," Nicole cuts in, nodding at the staff in Usagi's hand. "That."  
  
Usagi gazes at the Imperium Silver Crystal, then at her previous self's mother. "You did everyone on Earth a great favour," she smiles, returning the Crystal to its hyperspace pocket. "Without this, we would've been destroyed many times over by all the monsters that came through here over the last while."  
  
I'm pleased to have been able to help, Serenity smiles, then gazes at Nona. And I am more than pleased that your noble race has come to join us in this fight.  
  
"Wherever disUnity moves to engulf innocents, we come to restore Unity," Nona smiles. "Besides, my human father is part author of this current state of affairs. Before I cast my past in the depths of the Black Ocean, I must help Usagi-chan and the others deal with him and the one who now seeks the Senshi's power."  
  
The Sailor Senshi could never have asked for more powerful allies, Serenity smiles, then fades, hand raised. Farewell, my once-daughter. May your destiny be kind.  
  
"Good-bye, once-mother," Usagi is surprised at the tears that suddenly spring forward. "Perhaps one day, we'll meet again."  
  
Silence falls for a moment, then Nona gazes at Usagi. "We best get some rest," she sighs.  
  
"Yeah. Good night, Nicole."  
  
"'Night, loves," Nicole smiles as they head to their guest bedrooms, then relaxes, gazing at the crystal surrounding her. "I was right," she sighs contently. "She'd be perfect to take care of you if the time ever comes..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Everyone up?!!"  
  
As the sun creeps over the skies above Oshika, the twenty Sailor Senshi, Mamoru, Kyooko, Midori, Nokoko's school and the four inhabitants of the crystal palace meet in the control room. "We're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Usagi-chan!!" Makoto grins as she stretches herself. "What's the plan?!"  
  
"It's simple," Usagi smiles. "Against this foe, we can't let up for a second. Kughra wants control of a power that threatens all of Existence. We're not just fighting for Earth anymore. We're fighting for the whole Universe and all who live in it. If anyone is the least bit squeamish about killing people, say it now, because this day, we can't afford to compromise."  
  
The original nine Senshi exchange looks. Ever since the last battle with the Dark Kingdom, all of them, even Setsuna, had felt a growing sense of hesitation towards their traditional approach to fighting monsters. It hadn't affected them much this time, but who knew when it could become a liability. "We know the stakes are way too high this time, Odango," Haruka sighs. "We're ready."  
  
Usagi nods. "We'll be in four teams," Nona sighs. "One team will be with Usagi to deal with Kughra. I'll deal with Father. One team with handle any of Kughra's soldiers. A fourth team will stay with Hotaru-chan."  
  
"Me?! Why me?!" Hotaru registers surprise.  
  
"Because this day, we WILL need the Death Reborn Revolution," Usagi gazes at her. "If all goes well and we eliminate Kughra, we'll need you to destroy the planetoid. Midori states that it'll most likely fall apart when Kughra dies, which means loads of asteroid fragments. And we all know what happened to the dinosaurs when the last big one hit Earth at the end of the Mesozoic Era. This will make that episode look tame." She then takes a deep breath, knowing how much bringing THIS up would upset Hotaru. "And should I fall, if Kughra somehow manages to get control of me or the Crystal...you do what you have to do."  
  
Hotaru looks off in the distance for a moment, then grimly nods. "I understand."  
  
The teams are then chosen. With that, Nicole commands the palace to rise from its small basin and soar into the heavens...  
  
* * *  
  
"Mistress!!!"  
  
"What is it?!" Kughra sighs.  
  
"A vessel has risen from northern Japan heading this way!!"  
  
The dark princess commands her scrying glass to project an image of Nicole's palace soaring towards them. "What is this?!!" she barks. "What is that thing?!"  
  
"We don't know, Mistress!!!" the daemon cowers. "Our scans cannot penetrate past the outer walls of this craft!!"  
  
"WHAT?!?!?! That's impossible!!!" Kughra barks.  
  
"Perhaps you may..." the daemon hesitates.  
  
"I understand," Kughra raises a hand in acknowledgement, then relaxes on her throne, stretching her mind out to punch through the crystal walls and probe inside...and jolts as her mind slams into psychic walls that would not yield! "No!! Impossible...!!!"  
  
"What is wrong, Mistress?!" the daemon frets.  
  
"I...I can't sense inside that thing...!!" Kughra stammers...  
  
* * *  
  
"Alright, let's drop that bugger's cloak!!" Nicole snarls.  
  
"Right!!" Mujanba presses a control...  
  
* * *  
  
A beautiful mid-morning in Juuban. At Hikawa Jinja, Matsuri's mother sweeps the steps. She then blinks as a darkness suddenly falls over all of Tokyo. "An eclipse...?" she looks up.  
  
Gasps echo throughout the city as a dark sphere hundreds of times greater in size than the full moon appears, looming between the planet and the sun, its shadow cutting out a lot of the morning light. From a small point of light, a blaze of energy probes into the giant mass, tearing away its cloak of invisibility. "Gods!!" Mrs. Dokai gapes, then looks down to see several people approach, her inner senses sounding an alarm. "Who are you people?" she blinks.  
  
"Please don't be scared, ma'am," Saphil smiles. "We...were once former foes of the Sailor Senshi; I suppose now, you could consider us refugees from the horror which created that!" he notions up towards Kughra's planetoid.  
  
"Well, I'll be!" a voice calls out from next to Matsuri's mother. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, young man?"  
  
The Black Moon clansmen look at Rei's grandfather. "Oh, Ojii-chan, we're sorry!" Pattsu apologizes. "We should've told you..."  
  
"You know Rei's secret, don't you?!" Kooan blinks.  
  
The elder priest laughs. "Young lady, I may be getting on in years, but I couldn't ignore that!" he winks at her, then stares up. "Rei's up there, isn't she?"  
  
"And Matsuri-chan and the others," Mrs. Dokai sighs. "We should look at the sacred flame to see if they'll succeed."  
  
"If you want, I could create a scrying glass so we could watch the battle as if we were there," Esmerald smiles. "I still have some powers left from my time with the Black Moon."  
  
"Not a bad idea!" Rei's grandfather smiles, then looks at the shrine. "Yuuichirou-kun! Get some tea and snacks ready!! We'll have some guests joining us shortly if I'm not mistaken!"  
  
"Okay!!" the former singer calls from the kitchen.  
  
As people stream inside, Rei's grandfather looks back at the dark planetoid. "Come home safe, Rei..." he prays.  
  
* * *  
  
"Mistress, the cloak is down!!! We can be seen from Earth!!"  
  
"How is that possible?!!" Kughra roars...  
  
...then one wall of the palace collapses as it is ripped open by an invisible hand, exposing the room to the thin air surrounding the planetoid!! The dark princess ducks, then glares at the palace, now floating several dozen metres away. Her eyes narrow on seeing twenty figures in sailor fuku, one caped man and ten women in normal civilians standing on a veranda glaring at them.  
  
"***KUGHRA!!!!!!***"  
  
Kughra blinks as her eyes lock on the woman in the middle, glaring contemptuously at her. "Well, well!!" the dark princess relaxes on the throne, a thin smile cutting across her face. "Welcome back to what's left of the Dark Kingdom, Sailor Moon! How nice of you and your friends to visit...though I do wonder if anyone ever taught a clumsy girl like you how to knock!!"  
  
Moon remains strangely passive, her long pigtails fluttering in the light breeze flowing around the asteroid. The silence seems deafening as the two stare at each other. Kughra feels a hiss deep in her throat, her attempts at probing this whelp's mind repulsed by the crystal palace she now stands on. A reluctant touch of admiration flashes in the dark princess' eyes. The Sailor Senshi were smart to have attacked now while she still was in the dark over many of the Twins' abilities. Time to put this back under her control. "So where's the speech?" she muses.  
  
"What speech?!" Moon remains still.  
  
"Oh, come now!" Kughra laughs. "I've been watching you for some time, Sailor Moon. You and your little friends always ramble on before attacking whatever foe you face, vowing that in the name of whatever planet you symbolize that you would crush that foe!"  
  
"Oh, that!" Moon smiles, a smile that doesn't make Kughra feel any easier. "No thanks. I only have one thing to say to a little, decrepid old sleezeball like you."  
  
Kughra blinks as the Senshi's leader draws the Imperium Silver Crystal, holding it clearly in view. "You want this?" Moon's smile turns feral. "Come and get it," she places it on the flat pedestal before her, then points out with both hands. "Go!!"  
  
The other Senshi and their allies leap off the veranda to plunge into different parts of Kughra's palace. As shouts of alarm echo from around her, the dark princess watches Sailor Moon walk around the pedestal, then sit cross-legged before it, gazing at Kughra. "Nice day, isn't it?" the Senshi leader smiles...  
  
* * *  
  
"Kill them!!!" a daemon snarls.  
  
Sailor Poseidon twirls her weapon, the Ice Star Trident, as the air around her chills. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she fires a hail of ice daggers at the oncoming daemons.  
  
As they try to evade, Sailor Sunaru smiles. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***" she creates a funnel of condensed air to hammer the daemons into Poseidon's kill-zone.  
  
The creatures shriek as many are shredded by the bolts of frozen water. "Not bad!!!" Uranus smirks as she winds up. "Time to clean out the trash!!! ***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"  
  
The remaining daemons are bowled over by the bolt of energy tearing up the ground beneath them...into a pile in front of Sailor Chronos. "Time to pay the piper!!" she twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION!!!!!!***" she traps them inside a bubble, then twists her staff. "***TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
The daemons are instantly aged to dust! "This is too easy!!" Uranus smirks, flashing a thumbs-up at her sister.  
  
Suddenly, a glow surrounds the daemons' remains. The Senshi gasp as columns of dust rise up, moulding into the creatures they had just "destroyed!" "Nice try!!!" one cackles.  
  
"Oh, shit!!" Uranus backs off.  
  
"Allow me!!!" a voice calls. "***ETERNITY ENVELOP!!!!!!***"  
  
A blast of *te'a* energy warps around the daemons, trapping them inside a force-bubble infinitely stronger than Chronos' null-time bubble. Sailor Hades then emerges from shadow, the ruby on the Styx Staff glowing. "Yuki-chan, what made them resist my power?!!" Chronos demands.  
  
"On Earth, that would've worked, but here, their existence is supported by Kughra's power and will," Hades reports. "As long as they believe she stands with them, they can't die!"  
  
"Well, this could become a waste of time...wait!" Poseidon blinks, then smiles at Hades. "Yuki-chan, what if they were distracted...say by being exposed to ALL of Creation at once?!"  
  
"My thoughts exactly, Nareta-chan!" Hades smiles as the Styx Staff flares again. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"  
  
A bolt slams into the force-bubble, enveloping the daemons within by a frightening storm of images and sensations bombarding all their senses at once! They scream out as the input overload shuts their minds down, causing the links they had with the dark princess to be cut and their pseudo-lives to end. With that, they revert to what Chronos left them. "Now STAY dead!!!" the time reaper barks at the pile of ashes at their feet.  
  
"Let's go clean out some more!!" Uranus sighs.  
  
They race off...  
  
* * *  
  
Kughra feels a growl in her throat as she continues to stare at Sailor Moon's strangely passive face. Try as she might, she couldn't probe the mind of the Senshi leader, much less any of the others now running ripshod through her remaining forces. She was also able to tell that the civilians who came with the Senshi were Nendo-kata of another school, their powerful minds shredding the psychic links keeping her daemons alive. It didn't matter now that her goal was so tantalizingly close.  
  
"Well, do something!" Moon yawns.  
  
Outraged at this whelp's flippancy, Kughra screams as she leaps up to land on the crystal palace's prow three metres from the Senshi leader and four from her ultimate target. With that, Moon gets up, stifling another yawn as she remains in place, visibly unperturbed by Kughra's presence. Her temper flaring, the dark princess screams as she lunges at Moon.  
  
"***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"  
  
A black energy heart slams into Kughra, sending her crashing into the deck a metre away from Moon!! The Senshi leader looks up to see Sailor Aphrodite standing on another outcropping of crystal nearby, nodding. She then walks over and with a kick, sends the dazed Kughra tumbling off the palace to crash on unforgiving ground several dozen metres below. "Try that again!!" Moon taunts.  
  
Howling, Kughra somersaults to her feet, then fires a blast of energy at the Senshi leader. "DIE!!!!!!"  
  
Moon ducks back as the blast rams into an invisible shield around the palace, careening into the vacuum around them! "Nyaa!!" Moon red-eyes the dark princess. "Missed me!!!"  
  
Roaring, Kughra physically tackles Moon. The Senshi leader remains in place until the dark princess is almost atop her, then dances out of the way at the last second. Kughra cries out as the planetoid's gravity grabs her again, sending her to an embarrassing four-point landing!! "Missed me again!!!" Moon taunts. "Gee, for a barbarian warrior princess, you're not as good as you think you are, Kughra!!"  
  
"The operative word being 'barbarian!!'" Aphrodite adds.  
  
Kughra screams as she spins back to her feet. With another nimble leap, she lands again on the prow, then fires a blast toward the passion mistress. Aphrodite ducks behind a crystal outcropping as the bolt is deflected out into empty space again! She then emerges, a storm of hearts racing at the dark princess. "***MIXED PASSION ATTACK!!!!!!***" she screams.  
  
Kughra's pained shriek fills the air as her very soul is thrust onto an emotional roller-coaster that shatters all her bonds with her remaining daemons!! "The links're broken!!!" Aphrodite laughs, then screams out, "TAKE THEM ALL DOWN, EVERYONE!!!!!!"  
  
The dark princess staggers as her ears pick up the victory shouts from over a dozen throats...  
  
Mercury. "***AQUA ILLUSION!!!!!!***"  
  
Venus. "***LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!!!!***"  
  
Jupiter. "***SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!!!!!!***"  
  
Mars. "***BURNING MATILDA!!!!!!***"  
  
Uranus. "***WORLD SHAKING!!!!!!***"  
  
Neptune. "***DEEP SUBMERGE!!!!!!***"  
  
Pluto. "***DEAD SCREAM!!!!!!***"  
  
Sunaru. "***WINDSTORM PASSION!!!!!!***"  
  
Hermes. "***HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Chronos. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Gaia. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Ares. "***FIRE PHOENIX!!!!!!***"  
  
Poseidon. "***ICE STORM PASSION!!!!!!***"  
  
Hades. "***ETERNITY MADNESS!!!!!!***"  
  
Shaking her head clear, Kughra quickly realizes four of the Senshi weren't involved in fighting her daemons. Diana was no doubt looking for her father to settle scores...but where were Terra, Saturn and Zeus?!  
  
* * *  
  
"Close, Usagi-chan!!" Terra bites her lips, her hands feeling the cold ground some distance away from the main battle. "We almost got it!!! Keep her busy!!"  
  
"Why don't I do it now and get it over with?!" Saturn wonders.  
  
"What's to stop her from rebuilding this planetoid even if you destroy it?!" Tuxedo Kamen stares at her. "Wait until Nicole says it's alright, then do it!"  
  
Saturn nods. "Should be close now," Kyooko concentrates, her mind keeping track of the duel between Kughra and Sailor Moon.  
  
Midori and Zeus, sent with Kyooko to protect Saturn, nod...  
  
* * *  
  
"Get up!"  
  
Kughra hisses as she rises, glaring at Moon. "I must admit, I didn't expect this from the likes of you!" she icily smiles. "Not a bad plan, Sailor Moon...but not good enough!!"  
  
She turns, sending a blast of energy away from the crystal palace towards the arc of Earth lying not two thousand kilometres away!! "No!!!" Moon cries out as she watches the bolt home in on Tokyo like a guided missile, then leaps back to grab the Crystal and aims on target. "***MOON HEALING...!!!!!!***"  
  
Kughra tackles her, sending the two women tumbling head over heels onto the veranda. Seeing this, Aphrodite gasps as she winds up with a big black heart. "***HEART MIRROR SHOCK!!!!!!***"  
  
The bolt blazes down...and slams into Sailor Moon!! "Oh, shit!!!" Aphrodite yelps as the Senshi leader collapses like so much dead weight, letting go of the Crystal...  
  
* * *  
  
"Destroy that!!" Nicole barks.  
  
"Got it!" Mujanba taps a control.  
  
* * *  
  
The crystal palace glows for a moment, then a bolt of energy lashes out to pulverize the blast Kughra fired on Tokyo. The dark princess seems not to care as she reaches down, picking up the Imperium Silver Crystal, then smiles as Sailor Moon staggers back to her feet, her mind reeling from Aphrodite's attack. "Nice try!" the dark princess grins, patting the Crystal in the palm of her hand. "Your compassion will always be your weakness, Sailor Moon!"  
  
Suddenly, Moon's eyes darken as a twisted grin cuts across her face. "Who says anything about MY compassion, you lousy bitch?!" she hisses, then before the surprised Kughra could react, leaps over to tackle the dark princess by the neck, sending both of them tumbling off the crystal palace!!  
  
"Maybe that's not so bad after all!" Aphrodite embarrassingly chuckles, rubbing the back of her head...  
  
* * *  
  
Deep within the devastated palace, Daisuke Tsuruga pulls himself out from under some wreckage, gasping as he grips a badly mangled leg, a shard of wood having pried his calf open. "This is certainly not one of my better days!" he grunts.  
  
"Professor Tsuruga!" a voice beckons.  
  
He turns to see Sailor Gaia emerge from shadow. "Sakebu!!" he reaches down to draw the splint from his leg. "Here, give me a hand with this damn thing!" he grunts, then cries out as he draws the shard of wood from his leg.  
  
Seeing the severity of his wounds, the Senshi healer kneels beside him, her hands over his legs. "LIFE ENERGY RESTORE!!!!!!" she calls out as a wave of healing energy pours down.  
  
Tsuruga pants as the shredded muscles and blood vessels heal, sealing up and restoring his leg to normal. "Oh, thank you..." he gasps in relief, then icily smiles, "...you idiot!!"  
  
Gaia screams as he lunges at her with the broken shard...  
  
"***ENERGY MOON DARTS!!!!!!***"  
  
Tsuruga screams as a storm of bolts lance through his arms, legs and abdomen, slamming him against a wall! From out of the shadows, Sailor Diana appears, a vengeful smile twisting her lips. "Nice try, Father!" the moon huntress braces herself.  
  
Painfully roaring, the professor lunges over to grab Gaia by the throat, pointing the sharp end of the shard at her jugular. "You stay right there, you delinquent child!!" he snarls, spitting up blood. "You even try anything, Sakebu gets a new mouth!!!"  
  
"Wanna bet?!" Gaia's eyes glow as a blaze of energy forms around her. "***LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION!!!!!!***"  
  
A mini-Akira wave bursts from the Senshi healer as Diana drops to the floor, warping into Tsuruga as he is put through something quite similar to Aphrodite's Heart Mirror Shock! His scream is strangled off as he staggers away from Gaia just as his daughter leaps back to his feet, javelin in hand. "No...!!"  
  
"This is for all of us!!!" Diana flings the weapon.  
  
The bolt slams through the professor's throat, nearly ripping his head off as he is impaled against a wall!! Diana then walks forward, her hand snaring the shard her father had tried to use on Gaia from his shaking hand, then with brutal speed, yanks out her javelin from his throat and replaces it with the shard! "There, you'll keep!!" Diana smiles as she draws back from her father. "Stick around, Father! You'll get to see why Sailor Saturn's called 'the Senshi of Death and Destruction' first-hand!!"  
  
A weak rasp escapes from the professor's lips as Diana and Gaia race off to join the others...  
  
* * *  
  
Kughra's breath explodes as Moon's fist smashes into her jaw, sending her tumbling back to the ground. Her sailor fuku torn, her gloves shredded and nasty cuts all over her, the Senshi leader leans down to draw the dazed dark princess to her feet. Still, the dark fire burns deep in Sailor Moon's eyes as all her anger, her rage from four years of nearly constant fighting swells forth. "You think you are so worthy of the *te'a's* power?!" Moon hisses, then cocks her fist. "You'll NEVER have it!!!"  
  
Another blow sends the Nyoogranj'sha princess flying against a large rock! The target of Kughra's long hunt lies nearby, having been knocked out of her hands when she and Moon fell from the crystal palace. As Kughra, dazed and confused from a combination of Aphrodite's empathic attacks and Moon's fists, tries to get her bearings back, the Senshi leader turns, hand outstretched. The Crystal glows as it flies into her palm, then she turns back on Kughra. "You want to be one with the *te'a,* Kughra?!" she raises the staff, her emotions causing the Crystal to brightly glow. "There's only ONE way for you to do that!!!" she aims on target, then shouts, "***MOON COSMIC HEALING ACTIVATION!!!!!!***"  
  
The bolt slams into Kughra, shredding her body as the rock behind her disintegrates, the bolt flying on to pulverize what was left of the dark princess' palace!!! An inhuman shriek fills the air as Kughra's energy, accumulated over sixty millennia, explodes in a geyser of flame that shoots into space to dissipate, once more returning to That Power from which it came.  
  
Moon cries out as her own pain overwhelms her, collapsing into Aphrodite's arms. "Whoa, tiger, down!!" the passion mistress laughs as she produces another black heart. "Nice work!!"  
  
Moon jolts as the empathic bolt restores her mind to normal, then she shakes her head. "Wha...what happened...?!"  
  
"You beat her down, then moon-dusted her!" Aphrodite helps her back up. "Sorry that I missed with that one Mirror Shock bolt, but by the looks of it, you had to lose it to beat that creep!!"  
  
"S'okay!" Moon pants as she catches her breath, then looks around. "Wait a second!! How come the place isn't flying apart?!"  
  
"Eh...?!" Aphrodite blinks, then jolts as the ground begins to ominously quake. "Oh, shit...!!!"  
  
"***FOOL!!!!!!***" Kughra's booming voice echoes from all around them. "***DID YOU THINK THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF MY BODY WOULD RID YOU OF ME THAT EASILY, SAILOR MOON?!?!?! EVEN WITH MY WARRIORS SLAIN, THERE IS STILL ONE MORE MORTAL VESSEL I COULD STILL USE TO DISPOSE OF YOU ALL!!!!!!***"  
  
Moon blinks, then stares wide-eyed at Aphrodite. "She must mean Nona-chan's dad!!!" the former gapes, then looks up. "Nicole, get everyone but Saturn and Chronos back aboard, quick!!! Bring Saturn and Chronos here!!!"  
  
"Aye, lass!!" Nicole's voice echoes down.  
  
Transporter beams send everyone to the veranda as Saturn and Chronos appear beside Moon. "What is it?!" the former asks.  
  
"Get ready!!!" Moon barks, then turns to see something float up from the smoking pit of Kughra's palace. "Oh, no!!!"  
  
"I can't destroy that thing myself!!" Chronos warns.  
  
Everyone else watches as energy flows from nowhere into the shattered body of Daisuke Tsuruga, his eyes glowing. "***WHAT WILL YOU DO TO STOP ME NOW, SAILOR MOON?!?!?!***" Kughra's mocking voice howls from the professor's shattered throat.  
  
"Nicole-chan!!!" Nokoko looks aft. "Beam that thing here!!"  
  
"Right, love!" Nicole keys a control.  
  
A transporter beam seizes Tsuruga's body and materializes it on the prow of the crystal palace...and out of Kughra's reach! "***NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!***" the dark princess screams as she feels her psychic grip on Tsuruga cut off.  
  
"Hey, Chooko, get that garbage off my palace!!!" Nicole snaps.  
  
"Right!!" Chronos leaps up to the prow, then twirls her Time Reaper. "***TIME SUSPENSION...TIME ACCELERATION!!!!!!***"  
  
Tsuruga's body vanishes in a puff of dust and smoke! Moon then turns to Saturn. "Now!!!"  
  
As Moon leaps to the palace, Saturn raises the Silence Glaive.  
  
"***DEATH...REBORN...REVOLUTION!!!!!!***"  
  
* * *  
  
"Gods!!!" Rei's grandfather gapes.  
  
The crowd at Hikawa Jinja watch as a burst of light flashes on the surface of the dark planetoid! A scythe of energy cleaves the sphere in half as an Akira wave rips the crust from Ground Zero, shredding it!! As a beacon of light flees the planetoid, the doomsday power of Sailor Saturn pulverizes Kughra's base, the last vestige of the Dark Kingdom, into ashes, showering space around Earth with sparkles of light as a beautiful day returns to Tokyo.  
  
"Alright!!!" Yuuichirou whoops from nearby. "They did it!!!"  
  
Passers-by blink confusedly as a celebration breaks out at the shrine, everyone laughing and crying as they embrace each other...  
  
* * *  
  
"You okay, Hotaru-chan?!" Moon gasps.  
  
Saturn pants as she feels her strength return, then using the Silence Glaive as a crutch, gets back up. "I hate using that power..." she gasps, then takes a recuperative breath of fresh air. "Yes, I'm fine. Did we get her?!"  
  
"Nicole?!" Nokoko looks at her friend.  
  
Nicole concentrates as she focuses the palace's hypersensitive sensors on the site of Kughra's planetoid. "We got her!" she grins. "Without any physical form to call on, she couldn't keep her own soul in this realm. The *te'a* took care of the rest."  
  
With that, the Senshi whoop as they embrace each other in victory. "That was so easy!!" Sunaru embraces her adopted sister. "Geez, is this sort of work always this good?!"  
  
"With all of you now fighting with us?!" Jupiter grins, kissing Sunaru on the cheek. "You bet!"  
  
"Don't be too overconfident," Pluto warns.  
  
The time guardian's warning is ineffective in sobering the others from their elation. She and Hades exchange knowing smiles, realizing that when they calmed down, the Senshi would understand that they were very lucky this time. Pluto's eyes then fall on Sailor Moon, now gazing out a portal as the crystal palace begins to descend on Oshika. Walking over, she places a hand on her leader's shoulder. "You okay?"  
  
"Sore," Moon stares at her bruised hands. "And scared."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"When Ayako hit me with her Mirror Shock, all my rage, all the anger and frustration I've felt over the last few years just surged forth. I couldn't control it," Moon shudders. "And there was a part of me that didn't want to control it. Why?"  
  
"All of us have that dark side to our nature, Usagi," Pluto smiles. "Even Yuki and I aren't invulnerable to the wanderings of our own dreams and nightmares. The universe is a great balancing act most of all. Creation occurs here, Entropy there. In our own souls, it's the same thing. Sooner or later, the frustration that built up from the disruption in your life being Sailor Moon heaped on you had to come out. And it was a good thing it came out now."  
  
"Why, Setsuna?"  
  
"Because Kughra was the type of foe that totally depended on her powers," Pluto smiles. "She was like you in more ways than you would care to believe, Usagi. She never once conceived of you going hand-to-hand; before this, you always waited until someone else took the monster down before using the Crystal on it."  
  
"You're saying that I don't support the team enough."  
  
"In certain circumstances, people would conclude that," Pluto nods. "We don't mind it since, despite what you said before Naru became a part of us, you're still the Princess we swore our loyalty to back in the Silver Millennium. And because of that, we, even Rei, are loath to admit that at times, you can be more of a liability to the Senshi than an asset."  
  
Moon blinks, biting her lips, then gazes at her. "Is that the reason you didn't like the idea of Naru-chan joining us?"  
  
Pluto blinks, then looks away. "Partially," she admits, part of her suddenly finding the pattern on the floor quite interesting. "When Naru became Sailor Terra, certain future probabilities came into being, those sorts of probabilities that became more likely now that the Twins are involved. None of them are loyal to you like we are, Usagi. Naru became Sailor Terra because she is your best friend from this life. Her first tie is to Earth, being Earth's first acolyte and defender. The Twins are bound to each other because of their links as Nendo-kata; they aid us but are not a part of us. That could lead to problems in the future."  
  
"Also, you're worried about what Naru-chan and the Twins could make me do," Moon muses.  
  
"Yes," Pluto stares at her. "We care for you a lot, Usagi. I feel it now and the others might feel it sometime in the future. Naru and the Twins could make you do things that would take us by surprise, make us feel unsure about you. You were lucky today; it was just Ayako with you and deep down, she applauded you when you rearranged Kughra's face."  
  
"Ayako never struck me as the type," Moon hums.  
  
"You don't know Ayako's past too much," Pluto warns. "But what happens when you're fighting with us and you cut loose then? I don't know how the others'll take it."  
  
"They'll just have to get used to it, I guess," Moon sighs, smiling at her. "There are times, Setsuna, I feel I'm so unworthy of all of you. I don't want to feel that anymore. I don't want me to be JUST the Princess and you my servants. I want us to be a real team, working as equals. With Naru-chan and the Twins here, I can have that chance. It feels nice."  
  
Pluto sighs, a smile twitching her lips. "Well, if you made that choice, I can't interfere anymore." At Moon's surprised stare, she adds, "The curse of being a time guardian."  
  
Moon grins. "There's hope for you yet, Setsuna."  
  
Pluto jolts, then looks away with a humph. "I don't have to stand here and be insulted, you know."  
  
"Will you stop?!" Moon snickers. "You're still a human being under it all, Setsuna! Believe me, I was happy for you when you and Gurio got together! I just want to know how!!"  
  
"Usagi, even I'm entitled to my secrets," Pluto lightly smiles as she walks away.  
  
Moon watches her, smiling...  
  
* * *  
  
"Mom, we're home!!!"  
  
"Well, it's about time!" Mrs. Tsukino beams as a small troop of Senshi step into the house. "We saw what happened!"  
  
"As did nearly everyone in Tokyo!" Rei muses as everyone relaxes in the living room. "I can't believe that Grandpa and Yuuichirou-kun know I'm Sailor Mars!! Weird!"  
  
"I couldn't believe it when Mom told me she knew I was Sailor Terra," Naru relaxes beside Usagi. "We gotta get better costumes!"  
  
"Never mind, Naru-chan," Usagi's mother serves tea and snacks, then looks around. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan are doing their own thing with Hotaru-chan, Makoto-chan's with Katsura-chan and her family, the other Twins are visiting their families, Yuki-chan's who knows where and Setsuna-chan's gone on a date with Gurio-kun," Junko supplies, wrapping an arm around Minako.  
  
"That's the scariest part of all!" Ami shudders, relaxing beside Nona and Chooko. "Setsuna DATING someone!!"  
  
"What's the matter with that, Ami-chan?!" Usagi's mother blinks confusedly. "A healthy young girl like Setsuna deserves the chance to be with someone, especially if it's Gurio."  
  
"A healthy young girl who's a thousand years old?" Usagi hums.  
  
Her mother jolts, staring at her. "That's a joke, I take it." Heads shake negatively. "Usagi-chan, what sort of people are you hanging around with?!" she slaps her forehead, then jerks on seeing the bandages around Usagi's hand. "Usagi, what happened?!!"  
  
"Oh, this?!" Usagi holds up a fist, a sly smile crossing her face. "Relax, Mom! I got this from giving some sweet chin music to Kughra while we were fighting!!"  
  
The other Senshi jolt, gaping in shock at their leader. "It went that bad?" Usagi's mother sighs, then throws up her arms. "I don't want to know about it! I do NOT want to know about it!!"  
  
She heads into the kitchen...just as a thermometer is slipped into Usagi's mouth by Minako as Ami checks her pulse. "Hey, what is this?!" the Senshi leader snaps.  
  
"We're checking to make sure you aren't sick!" Minako frets.  
  
Sighing, Usagi grabs their heads and rams them together, allowing Minako and Ami to drop dazedly to the floor. "Geez, I'm alright, already!!" she spits out the thermometer before heading to her bedroom. "What's with you guys?!"  
  
Baffled silence follows. "What's with *her?!*" Rei wonders.  
  
The three Senshi twins shrug...  
  
*** The Beginning ***  
  
PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON - THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS  
WRITER'S NOTES  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
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Based on "Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi  
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INTRODUCTION  
  
This small file is written for those who would like to use the variation of the Sailor Senshi Twins as introduced in the fanfic story "Sailor Twins" and its sequels. Under no circumstances does this reflect on the Dark Sailor Senshi from the fanfic story "Senshi Kurai" and its sequels as created by Jackie Chiang or any other variation of twin sisters for the Sailor Senshi.  
  
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GENERAL RULES ON THE NENDO-KATA  
  
The Nendo-kata first appeared in the eleventh story of my fanfic series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," "Together The Outland." With this note, I give permission to all fanfic writers who wish to use the Nendo-kata that they may do so as long as they give credit where it's due and follow the basic guidelines as outlined below. For further character references or to get the feel of this race, please read any UY-TSY story after "TTO," my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," my UY-TSY/SM crossover "Lonely They Who Guard...", and my Sailor Moon fanfics "Sailor Twins," "College Life: When Sisters Come Calling" or "Faith No More."  
  
The Nendo-kata are, in their natural state, a race of mollusks similar to giant squid in size and looks. The average size of a healthy adult is the same as a small truck. Nendo-kata are water-breathers who can live in a salt water environment from the surface to a depth of three kilometres on an Earth-sized planet. The average lifespan of a Nendo-kata is 2000 years.  
  
Nendo-kata are allasomorphs who can use their transformation power only once in their life. This process is called the Crossing Over (always capitalized). When a Nendo-kata desires to Cross Over, she will take a blood sample of a person which serves as her template, then rapidly create a new body for her soul. Once the new body is created, the Nendo-kata switches her soul to the new body and it is then severed from the old body. The old body disintegrates. Once the Crossing Over is done, the Nendo-kata is then bound by all environmental laws the template follows (i.e. breathing air instead of water). A Nendo-kata's lifespan doesn't change when she Crosses Over. The physical process of the Crossing Over takes an average of twenty-four hours. The only restriction in this is that the template must be a carbon-based form of life; Nendo-kata cannot replicate themselves from a Horta, for example.  
  
If the template is dying for whatever reason (as witness the case of Nokoko Moroboshi, Clarisse Ike and the Senshi Twins), the soul of the template is temporarily drawn into the Nendo-kata's mind while the new body is produced. Once the new body is ready, the two separate souls merge together in Psi-Unity, then enter the new body when the Crossing Over is complete. As the two souls merge together (it usually takes 1-3 days after the Crossing Over), there will be a sense of disorientation felt by the Nendo-kata as she strives to forge a new sense of self. There are no rules to this end concerning Psi-Unity, but in the most cases, the Nendo-kata will adhere to her bounds to her own personal school, whatever friendships her non-Nendo-kata self had, and the laws of Unity.  
  
The Nendo-kata are an ALL FEMALE race, which reproduce by a natural form of parthenogenesis. What happens is that one's egg is telekinetically transferred into the mate's womb and vice-versa, then allowed to mate with the host's egg. This process remains the same even after the Crossing Over. Because of that, Nendo-kata cannot mate with a male. Nendo-kata have mated with non-Nendo-kata females (Asuka Mizunokoji and Pamanba Ike for example). In this case, the non-Nendo-kata can only contribute her egg to this process UNLESS the Nendo-kata mate draws two eggs into herself, has them come together, then implants one in her mate's womb. NOTE: all children born of Nendo-kata who have Crossed Over (which are always female [two double Xs do not make an XY]) can reproduce as per the normal reproduction rules of their host societies.  
  
If a male of another species merges with a Nendo-kata during the Crossing Over, the resultant being will always be female.  
  
The other natural powers a Nendo-kata have include telepathy, empathy and telekinesis. These powers remain with her when she has Crossed Over and can be passed on to offspring.  
  
Nendo-kata society is very old and has seldom changed over the centuries. The length of time that modern Nendo-kata society has existed is usually quoted at 100,000 years. This is since the time of the Great Crossing Over, when male Nendo-kata remoulded themselves into females to take joy in the bearing of children. During this time, the Nendo-kata also evolved their strong beliefs in Unity, dedicating themselves as a race to seek out and destroy disUnity wherever it may be found. Using their powers and special space-warp points located all over their homeworld, they have reached out from their planet across dozens of galaxies to insert themselves in other societies. It is unknown whether or not the Nendo-kata can reach Earth from their homeworld (the Outland school came via another dimension while the Cold Flat Mound school came with the help of Sailor Hades), but it should be possible.  
  
When dealing with the Nendo-kata, these concepts should always be kept in mind:  
  
Unity...The positive forces of Creation. Nendo-kata believe all races are bound together in a vast Universal School. To dedicate oneself to the service of Unity is the highest call a Nendo-kata can take. Nendo-kata sometimes address themselves and like-minded sentients (like the Sailor Senshi) as "Agents of Unity."  
  
disUnity...The opposite of Unity. It is always spelt as if there was a dash between the prefix and the noun (dis-Unity). Natural disUnity cannot be fought under any circumstances. What they do fight is what we would call "evil," stamping it out wherever it is found in whatever form it is encountered. Those who perpetrate disUnity are called "Purveyors of disUnity" or "sub-creatures" if they are really evil (Beryl would fit the second classification).  
  
Cosmic Chain of Life...The sum total of Existence. The saying "return to the Cosmic Chain of Life" is a very respectful way to speak of one's death.  
  
Mother Ocean...The Nendo-kata deity, a mother goddess figure. Also, this term identifies the Nendo-kata homeworld. It could also be used to identify another sentient's homeworld. For instance, Usagi Tsukino's Mother Ocean is none other than Earth.  
  
Black Ocean...Death, the afterlife. "Cast to the depths" is another way of indicating that one has died.  
  
Devil sharks...The Nendo-kata's version of demons or onis. To be seen as a devil shark is one step lower than being a sub-creature.  
  
Trickster sharks...One step up from a devil shark. Someone who is very annoying for whatever reason. In my Ranma 1/2 fanfic "Three Sisters," Ranko Saotome refers to Nabiki Tendou as a trickster shark.  
  
Great School...One's race/species.  
  
School...One's immediate family/clan/village. For a Nendo-kata, one's school is identified by environment (i.e. the Outland school, the Cold Flat Mound school). Nendo-kata schools are always even-numbered to ensure no one is without a mate.  
  
Schoolmates...A term to identify the members of one's school.  
  
Air breathers...Self-explanatory. This would also apply to those races who derive sustenance from types of gasses other than oxygen (i.e. methane).  
  
Sister...This has three meanings among the Nendo-kata. The first is meant to represent a female template, which whom a Nendo-kata will automatically adopt as a sibling. Katsura Utai considers Haruka Ten'ou her sister. If the template should happen to be male, "brother" is substituted. The second is a catch-all term Nendo-kata use to address each other. The third is of course all female siblings of one's template, which are also included as family. Katsura, atop thinking that Haruka is her sister, also acknowledges Teruko Utai as her sister and Makoto Kino as her adopted sister.  
  
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THE NENDO-KATA SCHOOL  
  
An individual Nendo-kata school ranges from 8-20 sentients. Whenever the school is seen as being too large, the school then divides into separate schools. If there are just not enough to form a proper school, several older schools will come together to allow offspring to forge bonds, then go off. Regardless of the size, there are five "positions" that exist in each school:  
  
Matriarch...The school leader. While the Nendo-kata do practice a form of communism/socialism in which all are seen as equal, there is one set leader and her decisions will always matter at the end.  
  
Sage...The school teacher/priest. She is the one who instructs her schoolmates and offspring about Unity's ways.  
  
Defender...The school warrior. The one who takes charge of defending one's nest against intruders.  
  
Bard...The school messenger/scout. This is one who travels from school to school to pass on news and information, plus locate a new place to move the nest when it comes time to migrate.  
  
Gatherer...The others in a school. These maintain the nest, gather food and care for the young.  
  
The two schools introduced in fanfiction so far divide the above tasks as follows:  
  
OUTLAND SCHOOL  
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Matriarch...Nokoko Moroboshi  
Sage...Tatsuko Fujinami  
Defender...Saiten Shigaten  
Bard...Kaikeko "Clarisse" Ike  
Gatherers...Mal Redet, Osooko, Hei Aruka, Ookako Sakurambou, Donna de Rosenbach, Nintaiko Miyaki, Asuka Mizunokoji (A), Pamanba (A)  
  
COLD FLAT MOUND SCHOOL  
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Matriarch...Nona Tsuruga  
Sage...Matsuri Dokai  
Defender...Katsura Utai  
Bard...Tsuyako Yuuri  
Gatherers...Yuki Tetsujo, Sakebu Kanna, Ayako Maida, Junko Satoda, Nareta Osoi, Chooko Nori, Kyooko Tsuruga, Midori Ryokuchuuseki  
  
Asuka and Pamanba are adopted members of the Outland school, but would be considered gatherers in this case.  
  
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WANDERERS  
  
When a whole school is cast into the Black Ocean, the only survivor usually is the school bard. They are, prior to parting from their schoolmates for the final time, impregnated with the memories of their schoolmates, then tasked to go out and find other schools so that the tales of the deceased school can be passed on. These orphaned Nendo-kata are called Wanderers.  
  
Whenever they have traditionally been encountered by other schools, they are welcomed in and made part of that school. Such is the case of three Wanderers who united with the souls of four of Sailor Galaxia's Anima Mates, who, thanks to the soulless succubi known as the Fushin, became the protectors of what little remained of their people.  
  
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THE SAILOR SENSHI TWINS  
  
The Sailor Senshi Twins were a secret project initiated by the cybernetics scientist Daisuke Tsuruga at the instigation of the long-lived Sagussan barbarian princess Kughra to create a force powerful enough to defeat and destroy the Sailor Senshi, thus allowing Kughra to seize the Imperium Silver Crystal and tap into the power of the *te'a.* Originally cyborgs, their spirits were later merged with a school of Nendo-kata, distant relatives of the Outland school based now in Oshika, then became a second team of Sailor Senshi. The Senshi Twins, save for the leader, took the Greek versions of the names of their templates as their nom de guerre. In the leader's case, since Sailor Moon was known to have two feline advisors named Luna and Artemis (both Greek names of the moon goddess), the Roman name "Diana" was substituted.  
  
The Senshi Twins possess henshin sticks that are, like Sailor Terra's, not linked to the Imperium Silver Crystal though they also draw on the *te'a's* power. These were once special power cells for their android bodies, but were modified when they Crossed Over.  
  
A note on the Twins' transformation phrases: while they were cyborgs, the Twins used "Eclipse." When they Crossed Over and became Nendo-kata, the word "Cosmic" was substituted.  
  
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SAILOR DIANA  
Nona Tsuruga  
  
"I am Sailor Diana, Huntress of the Moon, and you won't get away with it!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...Moon Huntress, Huntress of the Moon  
Transformation...Diana Lunar Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Moon's without the wings over her posterior and a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden star.  
Symbol...A crescent moon, points up, with a crossbow and arrow cast over it.  
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled in a long ponytail (as a cyborg, was in a French braid), green eyes.  
Relatives...Daisuke (father, deceased), Kyooko (mother), Chooko Nori (life-mate/spouse), Usagi Tsukino (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Kyoto  
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attack:  
ENERGY MOON DARTS...Tiny projectiles of energy which burn on contact. Similar to shuriken in effect.  
  
Defense:  
ECLIPSE VEIL...Creates a field of darkness around Sailor Diana and those she wishes to protect.  
  
Weapon:  
MOON JAVELIN...A naginata-type bo Diana's height with a sharp spear. Can be used to transmit high-intensity energy attacks similar to the Moon Darts. Diana can use it as a baton or quarterstaff if needed.  
  
HISTORY  
Nona was your average third year high school student, a manga and anime lover when she discovered that her father was going to attempt to create something akin to one of her favourite sci-fi stories, "Ghost In The Shell." Imagine her shock when she learned that the nine cyborg prototypes were going to be used in an attempt to destroy the Sailor Senshi. Before she could get a warning out, her father transformed HER into a cyborg, modelling her after Sailor Moon. However, since the Twins were on Earth and away from Kughra's influence at the time of their re-birth, they escaped Tsuruga's control and fled to Tokyo to warn the Senshi. During the battle with Kughra, Nona got her revenge by killing her father. Accepted by Usagi and her family, she and Chooko now live with the Tsukinos as guests as Nona prepares for university.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Nona was very much like Usagi once: carefree, always willing to shirk responsibility to have fun, a glutton, klutz, etcetera. But losing her very humanity, watching nine innocent women taken advantage of, then being forced to kill someone as a slave soldier, destroyed a lot of the old Nona. What was born was a woman who seems on first meeting perpetually angry, willing to fight at the drop of a hat. Becoming the "moon huntress" suits Nona, especially since she is absorbing a lot of Nendo-kata morality. Put simply, any daemon or monster that crosses her path is doomed!  
  
When not in the middle of Senshi business, Nona does lighten up somewhat, mostly when she is with Usagi, her mother or Chooko. She is into classical and new age music, preferring (like many of her school) anything that has the sound of water in it. She is a good cook though she has lost a lot of her appetite (Kyooko once told Usagi's mother that Nona could eat enough food for an infantry company and still ask for seconds!). Nona is becoming very close to Usagi, helping her template/sister deal with her own painful maturity in the wake of the battle with Galaxia and the final confrontation with the Dark Kingdom, not to mention helping her become a more effective fighter.  
  
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SAILOR SUNARU  
Katsura Utai  
  
"Prepare to bid farewell to earth, for the Mistress of Wind, Sailor Sunaru, will show you the stairway to Heaven!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...Mistress of Wind and Weather  
Transformation...Sunaru Heavenly Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Sailor Uranus' save for the base colour being sky blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a stylized hurricane symbol.  
Symbol...A hurricane symbol over crossed arrows.  
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled as Haruka's, brown eyes.  
Relatives...Susumu (father), Tadako (mother), Teruko (younger sister), Haruka Ten'ou (template/adopted sister), Makoto Kino (adopted sister)  
Home Town...Atami  
Present Home...The Kino-Utai residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attack:  
WINDSTORM PASSION...Similar to Sailor Terra's Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike without heat. Can be used to create a funnel of air to entrap people.  
  
Distraction:  
WEATHER KISS...Using water from Sailor Mercury or Sailor Neptune, creates pockets of precipitation.  
  
Defense:  
WINDSTORM FORTRESS...Creates an impenetrable wall of air around her.  
  
HISTORY  
According to a Buddhist monk, Katsura was born under a very lucky star and she lived it throughout the first years of her life. No accidents, no sicknesses, nothing. Over time, she used her luck to, like her parents, engage in gambling. Katsura made a killing on horse and auto racing, especially when her personal hero Haruka Ten'ou hit the Formula One circuit. With that luck, the Utais amassed a considerable fortune. But that luck couldn't save Katsura when she contracted hepatitis-C, then she fell under the interest of Daisuke Tsuruga. But luck soon shone its grace back on Katsura when she was templated off her favourite race car hero, then she regained her humanity. During that time, she discovered another love: Makoto. Arranging to have her family adopt the orphaned young woman, Katsura elected to move in with her teammate and take her time before launching something more intimate. With her luck, Katsura might just succeed.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Katsura was born with an eye for personal advancement and she pursues it with a Nabiki Tendou-like ruthlessness at times. These days, she wouldn't do anything that could psychologically harm someone else; her Nendo-kata morals would block her or force her to share her wealth with those who helped her get it. But when it comes to money, Katsura has always been lucky. Because of that, Katsura has had few real friends, all of whom drifted away when it was assumed that she would die from hepatitis. Katsura no longer cares; her primary concerns socially are her family and Makoto.  
  
Katsura unfortunately was templated off someone who didn't like the idea of having her personal space so invaded. There was a slight friction between Katsura and Haruka, though it didn't show up in the middle of a battle. Despite all of Michiru's prodding, Haruka couldn't bring herself to apply the term "sister" to Katsura. It hurt Katsura to an extent, but since she already had quite a solid family behind her, she was really in no hurry to force herself all over Haruka. They eventually reconciled when Katsura visited Haruka at the latter's college.  
  
As the school defender, Katsura is emotionally primed for combat and engages it with a relish that at times rivals Nona's. However, she isn't as tomboyish as Haruka; she wouldn't go so far as to disguise herself as a boy. Katsura wants most of all to discover ways to connect with people emotionally; she couldn't have picked anyone better to emote to than Makoto.  
  
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SAILOR ZEUS  
Junko Satoda  
  
"You need not waste your time; no one passes Sailor Zeus, Mistress of the Aegis!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...Mistress of the Aegis  
Transformation...Zeus Lightning Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Jupiter's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.  
Symbol...A heart over crossed arrows and a lightning bolt.  
Hair & Eyes...Same as Makoto's  
Relatives...Tasuku (father), Yoshiko (mother), Makoto Kino (template/adopted sister), Minako Aino (girlfriend)  
Home Town...Tokyo  
Present Home...The Satoda residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
LIGHTNING FLASH...A blinding blast of light.  
  
Entrapment:  
AEGIS ENTRAPMENT...Using the Aegis' power to restrain a target.  
  
Defense:  
AEGIS PROTECTION...Using the power of the Aegis to forge shield around her and those she wishes to protect.  
  
HISTORY  
The only Juuban native of the Sailor Twins, Junko was a big fan of Sailor V before it was revealed that she was Sailor Venus. While having not been in Usagi's class in Juuban Junior High School or later Juuban High School, Junko had been on occasion caught by the "monster du jour" whenever innocent bystanders were employed as slave soldiers. Her admiration of Sailor Venus soon turned into something deeper as she began to discover herself. That discovery soon proved tragic when after a heated liaison with a foreign exchange student, Junko contracted HIV. She was more than happy to volunteer herself to become a Senshi Twin (not knowing Tsuruga's real plans), electing to be Sailor Zeus since she always sensed a special closeness between Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. It soon worked out; with several empathic "prods" by Ayako, Junko and Minako began to date. Junko's parents have completely accepted it (especially when they found out who Minako was!).  
  
PERSONALITY  
Junko tends to fit the defender role much better than Katsura. A motherly figure the equal of Makoto, Junko relishes her role as Sailor Zeus. Junko emotionally isn't primed to be a fighter even now that she's a Nendo-kata. She sees her task as protecting the bystanders who somehow get dragged into fights between the Senshi and the monster du jour, filling a role no one played whenever she was caught up in the craziness that hounded her former schoolmates.  
  
Of all the Twins, Junko is as close to being a social double of Makoto as she is now a physical double. She is an outstanding cook, a diligent home-maker, a kind woman who would make a perfect mate for anyone looking for one (better snap her up quick, Minako-chan! ^_^). The only difference between the Jovian twins is their approach to violence. Junko always had a home and a supportive household, something Makoto lost before junior high school. And before she became a Senshi Twin, Junko was your average sized girl, not a fast grower like Makoto. Also, Junko has one overwhelming passion: Minako. Only now is the Senshi of Love learning how deeply the Mistress of the Aegis has desired her.  
  
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SAILOR HERMES  
Tsuyako Yuuri  
  
"Escape is illogical; no one outruns the Herald of Justice, Sailor Hermes!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...The Senshi Herald; Herald of Justice  
Transformation...Hermes Herald Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mercury's save for the base colour being an electric blue, wrap-around shooter's goggles around her eyes, blue winged running boots similar to the Flash's, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and ovals on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing a golden heart.  
Symbol...A caduceus with a heart fixed at its apex.  
Hair & Eyes...Blonde hair styled like Ami's, blue eyes. Always wears glasses or goggles.  
Relatives...Izou (father), Atsuko (mother), Nareta Osoi (life-mate/spouse), Ami Mizuno (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Naha, Okinawa  
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
HYPERSPEED ACCELERATION...Accelerates molecular speed on touch.  
STORM OF A THOUSAND KNIVES...Uses the Herald Sentinel to lance a target at hypersonic speeds.  
  
Movement:  
Sailor Hermes can move at hypersonic speeds for up to two hours at any one time carrying two people. Her body produces a shield to protect herself and her passengers from atmospheric friction.  
  
Weapon:  
HERALD SENTINEL...A caduceus with points that glows in the dark.  
  
HISTORY  
As much a child genius as Ami, Tsuyako was born with a very high IQ, quickly becoming a bookworm as she advanced through the local school system. Mastering a half-dozen languages, she seemed destined to take her place as one of Japan's greatest scientists (she was pursuing a possible career in chemistry). However, a bad case of pneumonia nearly ended that and saw Tsuyako in the hands of Daisuke Tsuruga. Before learning the black truth of the Senshi Twins, Tsuyako asked for her eyes to be made defective, a humbling touch that was replicated when she became a Nendo-kata. After her escape, she went out to locate Sailor Mercury, knowing from news reports that of all the Senshi, her template was perhaps the best equipped to help the Twins overcome their power problems. Such soon no longer became necessary when the Nendo-kata came, thus allowing Tsuyako to pursue her dream...and Nareta.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Outside her vast intelligence, Tsuyako is perhaps the most ordinary of the Senshi Twins. Having lived on Okinawa, she was exposed at close quarters to American culture, so when she was given a choice of hair styles and looks, she elected to remake herself into a reflection of the popular blonde haired, blue eyed icon popular in the West. When things went crazy, she was able to overcome her inhibitions and start a relationship with Nareta, something that became permanent when they became Nendo-kata.  
  
In part because of that, Tsuyako and Nareta were able to forge a close bond with Haruka and Michiru. Of course, Tsuyako also strives to keep a close bond with her template/sister. With Ami's help, Tsuyako was able to get into university to pursue her dreams, attending the same university Ami goes to. While accepted with some reservations by her parents (like many caught in this situation, they find it hard to accept Tsuyako's desire to be with another woman), Tsuyako has won Ami's mother over.  
  
As the Senshi herald/school bard, Tsuyako's task in the team is a combination of fast reconnaissance and information gathering so the others could prepare for an attack. She is a good fighter, especially with the Herald Sentinel in hand; to the unlucky monster facing her, Tsuyako's Strike of a Thousand Knives is as deadly as Nona's Energy Moon Darts or Nareta's Ice Storm Passion.  
  
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SAILOR APHRODITE  
Ayako Maida  
  
"Get ready for the ultimate heartbreak; Sailor Aphrodite's gonna show you why she's the Mistress of Passion!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...Passion Mistress; Mistress of Passion; The Senshi   
Heartbreaker; The Senshi Matchmaker  
Transformation...Aphrodite Passion Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Venus' save for the base colour being electric pink, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a heart on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.  
Symbol...A heart with an arrow piercing it.  
Hair & Eyes...Raven haired styled as Minako's, blue eyes.  
Relatives...Minako Aino (template/adopted sister), Matsuri Dokai (life-mate/spouse)  
Home Town...Roppongi-chi, Tokyo  
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
HEART MIRROR SHOCK...Sends an energy heart to transform a victim's emotions to the exact opposite of what they were experiencing before impact.  
  
Encouragement:  
HEART COURAGE KISS...Sends an energy heart to boost the most prominent emotion in the victim's mind.  
  
Conversion:  
MIXED PASSION ATTACK...A mix of the Mirror Shock and the Courage Kiss in a storm of energy hearts.  
HEART PASSION NOVA...Used in conjunction with the Imperium Silver Crystal to cleanse all around her of evil; also very effective at making monsters human.  
  
Interrogation:  
TRUTH ENCIRCLE...Uses the Truth Chain to force someone to speak the truth.  
  
Weapon:  
TRUTH CHAIN...A chain of hearts strapped around the waist.  
  
HISTORY  
Of the Twins, Ayako is the most tragic. Born of a street hooker and a bad job gone very wrong, Ayako suffered from a mix of fetal alcohol syndrome, addiction to drugs and brain damage thanks to her mother suffering from a bad case of syphilis. Atop that, you add pushy pimps, the near-total absence of a stable home life, a mother dying when she was still too young, and you get one very messed up kid who would have been dead before twenty. Tsuruga and Kughra were just spice on the cake...or so they thought. Once given the power to manipulate hearts and emotions, a whole new facet of Ayako's personality burst forth...which signed Kughra's death warrant since it was Sailor Aphrodite who helped Sailor Moon defeat the dark princess. Now tack that atop very powerful Nendo-kata abilities and Ayako is a lust-driven monster ready to unleash a new Summer of Love on Tokyo...whether Tokyo wants it or not!!  
  
PERSONALITY  
Ayako is in essence a shit-disturber; she shakes things up just for the hell of it. NO ONE is safe; thanks to her power, which targets one's very soul, Sailor Aphrodite is by far the deadliest of all the Sailor Senshi, originals AND Twins! Calling herself a "confessed aphrodisiholic" (she gets drunk on passion), Ayako would use her Heart Courage Kiss to drive someone's desire for someone else into overdrive for the desire to soak up some love. Her favourite targets are (but not exclusive to): Setsuna and Gurio (to make her more human), Haruka and Michiru (to get them to be more public about their relationship), Junko and Minako (hey, have to help her sister get in the grove somehow), Usagi and Mamoru (If it's their destiny, then live it!)...atop EVERYONE ELSE!!!!  
  
Outside her desire to see people express love, Ayako is a real go-getter; her exuberance in battle, her confidence in dealing with the monster du jour, her never-say-die attitude, is positively breathtaking. She doesn't allow anything to get her down when mixing it up; once she utters Bugs Bunny's famous byline "Of course you know, this means war," it's party time!  
  
Under all that bluster, however, is a fragile woman who's afraid that she'll loose the few bonds of love she has left: to Matsuri and to a lesser extent, the other Senshi. Having never really had a family, Ayako isn't sure how she should try to forge a relationship with her life-mate. Fortunately, the school sage understands what Ayako is enduring, thus is patient when dealing with her. To better help Ayako, Matsuri arranged to have Ayako help eight ex-Black Moon Clan monsters adjust to being human.  
  
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SAILOR CHRONOS  
Chooko Nori  
  
"I'm Sailor Chronos, Reaper of Time...and your time's run out!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...Time Reaper; Reaper of Time  
Transformation...Chronos Time Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Sailor Saturn's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an hourglass on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.  
Symbol...A "C" with an hourglass suspended between the branches, pierced with an arrow.  
Hair & Eyes...Same as Hotaru's.  
Relatives...Kameo (father), Akiko (mother), Nona Tsuruga (life mate/spouse), Hotaru Tomoe (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Hiroshima  
Present Home...The Tsukino home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
TIME ACCELERATION...Uses the Time Reaper to accelerate time in a bubble to 2,000,000,000 times outside space.  
TIME SUSPENSION...Uses the Time Reaper to suspend time in a bubble.  
  
Distraction:  
TIME HYPNOSIS...Uses the Time Reaper to permit a target to experience any point in their lives. Perfect for making targets relive bad memories.  
  
Restoration:  
TIME RESTORE...Uses the Time Reaper to physically restore a specific location to the way it was at a previous point in time.  
  
Weapon:  
TIME REAPER...A staff the size of the Silence Glaive with a large sickle at one end.  
  
HISTORY  
Chooko and Nona were friends long before their involvement in the Senshi Twins project. Having first met each other as pen-pals in public school, they kept communicating over the years as letters changed to phone calls and eventually e-mail. Chooko's involvement in the Twins project was Nona's fault in part; before she was rebuilt as Sailor Diana, Nona told Chooko about her father's work and Tsuruga, to keep matters secret, had Chooko kidnapped and transformed her into Sailor Chronos. The close quarters of their personal experience soon transformed a friendship into a supportive relationship, one later solidified when both became Nendo-kata.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Chooko in no way blames Nona for her present situation. Like Hotaru, Chooko is a sort of wide-eyed kid when she plays Sailor Chronos. She loves the adventure, loves being a hero to innocent people, loves the new friends and companions she now has and loves Nona most of all. Theirs is a very long relationship, something that, with help from the Nendo-kata, was destined to succeed. Chooko sees her role now as supporting Nona as the latter resolves her guilt over the Twins' creation. With that, she has nearly cut off all contact with her birth family in Hiroshima, though they are aware that Chooko is still alive.  
  
Chooko has also started to devote herself in helping her sister deal with her potentially tragic abilities. Being the Senshi of Death and Destruction is, in Chooko's eyes, something a nice girl like Hotaru wasn't meant for. Chooko herself proposed a nickname change for her sister: "the Senshi of Entropy and Creation," implying that once past things are gone, new things can be created in their place. Chooko also volunteers to keep Hotaru company when business takes Haruka and Michiru away, filling a big sister role for the orphaned girl.  
  
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SAILOR GAIA  
Sakebu Kanna  
  
"Try as you might, you cannot harm anyone; Sailor Gaia will always restore them."  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...The Senshi Healer  
Transformation...Gaia Life Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Sailor Terra's save for the base colour being a dark red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a red heart.  
Symbol...The heart of Earth over a caduceus.  
Hair & Eyes...Same as Naru's; hair is worn in a bun.  
Relatives...Shinjirou (father), Toriko (mother), Yuki Tetsujo (life-mate/spouse), Naru Osaka (templated/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Nagano  
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
LIFE PASSION SUPPRESSION...Drains a target of all aggressive energy for a short period of time.  
  
Healing:  
LIFE ENERGY RESTORE...Restores lost energy to a victim; accelerates healing. Can counter attacks like the Time Acceleration or the Hyperspeed Acceleration, but only does so temporarily.  
  
Defense:  
LIFE PASSION ELIMINATION...Permanently drains a target of all aggressive energy. If aggression is all a target lives for, this is fatal.  
  
HISTORY  
Sakebu has always been a serious student of history...and she couldn't get a much better chance to learn it than the day she met Yuki Tetsujo when the latter came to Nagano one day as a substitute teacher while Sakebu was in the first grade of high school. To pardon the cliche, Sakebu got a crush on the older woman...and soon learned how old Yuki exactly was when the guardian of Eternity revealed her true age and powers. When the time came that Yuki elected to become a Senshi Twin, she persuaded Sakebu to follow her as Sailor Gaia, then deliberately infected her with a plague virus to bring Tsuruga running. It was Sakebu and Yuki who helped free the other Twins, then guided them to a safe house in Juuban Yuki had secretly prepared with Setsuna's help earlier, pending the Twins' meeting the Senshi.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Sakebu can be your atypical Jewish mother at times; she nags people left, right and centre for the most minuscule of reasons. While having not shown it during the battle with Kughra, right after, she started riding everyone, Senshi and Twins. Not even Ayako wants to deal with Sakebu when the latter's on a tear; she says using the Heart Mirror Shock would only make Sakebu worse. Only Yuki has the patience to deal with her life-mate; the others, even Setsuna, admire the guardian of Eternity for having such a thick skin. Then again, it is only with Yuki that Sakebu feels comfortable enough to allow her hair to fall down.  
  
As Sailor Gaia, her mission is as defensive as Sailor Zeus'; while everyone else is busy bashing monsters, she's helping the wounded get clear of the battle zone and healing them enough for them to be evacuated while things are getting destroyed. In this mode, she is feral; any daemon dumb enough to attack Gaia's patient is quickly eliminated by either the Life Passion Elimination or a good telekinetic fist crushing them into a pulp.  
  
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SAILOR ARES  
Matsuri Dokai  
  
"You want to play with fire?! I'm the Fire Sentinel, Sailor Ares, and you will get burned!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...The Fire Sentinel  
Transformation...Ares Fire Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Super Sailor Mars' save for the base colour being a mix of gold and red, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops containing a stylized flame.  
Symbol...A heart over a crossbow and arrow.  
Hair & Eyes...Red hair styled like Rei's, green eyes.  
Relatives...Torao (father), Kaname (mother), Ayako Maida (life-mate/spouse), Rei Hino (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Tokushima, Shikoku  
Present Home...The Maida/Dokai home (the Twins' apartment complex), Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
FIRE PHOENIX...A wave of fire shaped like a bird capable of engulfing a large or massed target.  
FIRE NOVA...A disintegrating blast of energy lashing out in all directions.  
  
Defense:  
FIRE PHALANX...Projects small bolts of fire to intercept incoming attacks.  
  
HISTORY  
Matsuri was a priestess in training in Shikoku, the daughter of the senior Shinto cleric of the island and his wife. Hers was a pretty normal life, somewhat secluded from the normal things girls her age do, until the day she met a WHO doctor who had contracted Ebola while working in Africa. Falling very sick and forced into isolation, Matsuri was resolved to her fate until Tsuruga offered her a second chance. Matsuri knew that the doctor was up to something, but accepted since she, like many priests facing a potentially life-threatening situation, choose their duty over their life. Matsuri's private prayers for salvation soon came when she bonded with the sage of the Cold Flat Mound School, thus giving her a chance to better serve those around her. Of course, she has other things to worry about, Ayako Maida being one.  
  
PERSONALITY  
In many ways, Matsuri can be as fiery as Rei. She can be very quick to anger given the right circumstances, is self-confident in her role as priestess and Sailor Senshi, and is content with the way her life has evolved. Her Nendo-kata half has just augmented those points which give Matsuri her strength.  
  
Matsuri is also very overprotective of Ayako, almost to the point of an obsession. Being ill-experienced in the ways of the heart when she first became a Senshi Twin, Matsuri was quick to fall in love with Ayako, staring a very heated relationship. Her possessiveness towards Ayako can lead to pretty nasty spats whenever Matsuri sees her lover play with other people's emotions. Insults like calling Ayako a "shameless flirt" are common. But it is all a verbal game to relieve tension; Matsuri knows deep down how fragile Ayako's psyche is even now and does her best to give her lover the chance to explore over types of love, especially the one thing Ayako never had: family.  
  
As Sailor Ares, Matsuri possesses a lot of tactical knowledge when it comes to deal with daemons; in essence, she can fit the role of the Senshi's master battle planner. She keeps track of the number of daemons involved in any fight, watches out for the strengths and weaknesses of the mid-level avatars, then goes for the kill when opportunity presents itself. Her powers also work in more a defensive mode than Sailor Mars'; the Fire Phoenix can be quite draining on Sailor Ares even now as a Nendo-kata.  
  
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SAILOR POSEIDON  
Nareta Osoi  
  
"Am I cold? I'm the Guardian of Ice, Sailor Poseidon, and be assured, I can be much colder than this!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...The Senshi of Ice; The Ice Senshi  
Transformation...Poseidon Ice Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Sailor Neptune's save for the base colour being ice blue, a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and a snowflake on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops.  
Symbol...A snowflake over a heart.  
Hair & Eyes...Silver hair styled like Michiru's, grey eyes.  
Relatives...Motomu (father), Atsumi (mother), Tsuyako Yuuri (life-mate/spouse), Michiru Kaiou (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Kitakyushu  
Present Home...The Yuuri/Osoi residence, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
ICE STORM PASSION...A storm of ice daggers.  
ICE ETERNITY...Sailor Poseidon uses this to freeze everything around her.  
  
Defense:  
ICE FORTRESS...Using fields of cold and ice to prevent attacks from reaching her. Works better in duo with Sailor Sunaru's Windstorm Fortress.  
  
Weapon:  
ICE STAR TRIDENT...A crystal trident the size of the Silence Glaive.  
  
HISTORY  
Nareta is your typical rich girl, the only daughter of a prominent trading family from Kyushu. With that, she was socially isolated in much the same way that Matsuri's parents isolated her. Sent to the best schools, she was moulded to become one of the new aristocracy ruling Japan. That didn't save her when she contracted the same type of plague virus Sakebu used to follow Yuki into being a Sailor Twin. Torn from her family and friends, Nareta withdrew into herself...only to be slowly brought out by Tsuyako before and after the Twins freed themselves. Now that she has become a Nendo-kata, Nareta has achieved a level of contentment she never had as the spoiled rich girl she was before.  
  
PERSONALITY  
Nareta is somewhat reserved on first meeting. Years of etiquette classes, piano lessons and other strict methods to make her a proper lady have had their effect, only now being worn away with her being a Nendo-kata and her relationship with Tsuyako. Even when she has made herself comfortable with other people, Nareta retains a remarkable sense of decorum, something that could still rub certain people the wrong way.  
  
Because of the changes that have happened, Nareta's relations with her parents shattered. They refuse to accept how much their daughter has changed and will not speak to her unless she renounces her relationship with Tsuyako and is "cured" of her lesbianism. With that, Nareta has drawn close ties to both Tsuyako and her family, Ami and her mother...and most of all to Michiru. Outside Usagi and Nona, Michiru and Nareta possess the closest emotional bond between Senshi and Twin. This has helped much in fostering a close friendship between the Yuuris (Nareta will adopt Tsuyako's family name when they handfast) and the Ten'ous.  
  
Sailor Poseidon is very offensive in her approach to battle, forming a "sabre" wing of the Twins with Diana, Chronos, Hermes, Ares, Sunaru and Hades. She channels a lot of her childhood resentment at being manipulated by her parents into her fighting, which can mean a very rough time for any unlucky daemon who gets in her way. In battle, since her life-mate is busy scouting out the opposition, Poseidon often partners up with Sunaru, combining their powers to unleash widespread devastation on the opposition.  
  
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SAILOR HADES  
Yuki Tetsujo  
  
"I am Sailor Hades, Guardian of Eternity...and Infinity is far closer than you think!"  
  
PERSONAL INFORMATION  
Nickname...The Guardian of Eternity  
Transformation...Hades Eternity Cosmic Power, Make Up!  
Uniform...Same as Sailor Pluto's save for a heart on the chest bearing her symbol and an oval on her tiara, neck choker, wrists and boot tops bearing an infinity symbol.  
Symbol...The infinity symbol pierced by an arrow.  
Hair & Eyes...Black hair styled like Setsuna's, black eyes.  
Relatives...Parents (deceased), Sakebu Kinna (life-mate/spouse), Setsuna Meiou (template/adopted sister)  
Home Town...Iwaki  
Present Home...The Tetsujo-Kanna home, Juuban-chi, Tokyo  
  
POWERS  
  
Attacks:  
ETERNITY MADNESS...Exposes a target to the power of the *te'a*; such is guaranteed to drive the target insane.  
  
Entrapment:  
ETERNITY ENVELOP...Uses the *te'a* to trap someone.  
  
Defense:  
ETERNITY HYPNOSIS...Exposes a target to any aspect of Creation.  
  
Weapon:  
THE STYX STAFF...A simple staff with a red ruby at one end.  
  
HISTORY  
Once in a while, someone somewhere in the universe is born with the power to manipulate the very essence of Existence...the *te'a.* The last being born with this ability who lived in Earth's solar system was Queen Serenity herself, who channelled her ability to create the Imperium Silver Crystal and thus allow the Sailor Senshi to come into being. The most recent person native to this sector to be given this remarkable gift was Yuki Tetsujo, born in 1853 when the "black ships" from America came to Edo.  
  
Yuki was an Immortal, one of a select group with the gift of eternal life...and cursed to be drawn into the Gathering, the time when all Immortals fight for the Prize (the combined power of all the Immortals who ever lived). Yuki was found by Duncan MacLeod of Scotland and trained to fight, but shortly after, another Immortal challenged her and took her head. Only then was the TRUE nature of Yuki's gift known. The *te'a* destroyed Yuki's killer and restored her life. Now out of the Game (though to this day, she is still good friends with MacLeod and his clansman Connor), Yuki could then focus her abilities into finding her true purpose in existence.  
  
Training with the souls and immortal spirits of those who have also welded Existence's ultimate power, Yuki fashioned for herself the Styx Staff, her personal *haijo-ju.* During this time, she came into contact with Setsuna and was told of the Sailor Senshi. Wishing that she herself could become a Senshi, Yuki waited until she stumbled onto Kughra and discovered what Daisuke Tsuruga was up to. Seeing her chance, knowing what could be done to help her, Yuki made herself and Sakebu ill, making prior preparations to ensure that when the Twins freed themselves, they would have a place to stay until they became human again. Once that was done, Yuki dedicated herself to forging a family, both with Sakebu as her life-mate...and Setsuna as her adopted sister.  
  
PERSONALITY  
When she isn't in her role as Guardian of Eternity, Yuki could strike people as a Setsuna on happy drugs. She can be a prankster, an Ayako without a fixation on making people express love. She is warm, fuzzy, tender, always supportive and, once you've earned her trust, the best friend anyone could ever ask for...and certainly one who tolerates Sakebu's incessant nagging. In fact, it is that tenderness which makes Yuki's and Sakebu's relationship work so well, much to everyone else's surprise.  
  
However, Yuki knows when to separate pleasure from business. Whenever something happens that demands her personal attention as Sailor Hades, she can be as cold and menacing as her twin. She is by far THE most powerful Senshi of all since her ability can, if she lets herself go, warp all of reality to her pleasure. When she uses that power, Yuki keeps herself under the tightest of emotional control; she knows what damage she can do. Yuki also understands that there come times when she CANNOT interfere. Of all the Twins, she is the least influenced by her Nendo-kata self, which finds not doing anything whenever disUnity is unleashed repulsive. However, because Yuki accepts her humanity, she does often admit to being tempted, especially when something happens to those she cares for.  
  
Which leads to the final point about Yuki; her relationship with Setsuna. Yuki has privately dedicated herself to making her sister lighten up a bit, better accept that while she is Guardian of Time, she is also human and is allowed the chance to kick back and relax whenever something isn't happening. It was Yuki who got Setsuna to explore a relationship with Naru's ex-boyfriend Gurio Umino...and it is Yuki, with the help of the ancient time portal of Gateway, the Guardian of Forever, who plans to give Setsuna a great surprise come her next birthday (but you'll have to read "Faith No More" to see what I mean ^_-).  
  
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End file.
